


A Touch of Chaos

by BittyBlueEyes



Series: Eleven and His Rose [5]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-14 05:38:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4552728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BittyBlueEyes/pseuds/BittyBlueEyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Powerful, ancient beings have long searched for the Bad Wolf and believe they finally found the girl that can play with the power of time. They must be stopped, but at what cost? --After Part 1, the series can be read in any order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“We have arrived!” the Doctor announced once the TARDIS finished materializing.

“I know. I’m the one that drove,” Rose chuckled.

“Yes, I know, but that doesn’t make it any less true,” the Doctor pointed out. “So, ready for a festival?”

“Absolutely.”

The Doctor held out his arm and Rose linked hers with his and they exited the TARDIS together. As soon as they were outdoors, Rose turned around to have a good look at her TARDIS. Unlike the Doctor’s it had a working chameleon circuit which allowed it to disguise itself as something that blended in with their surroundings. It blended in so well that they had to have a look at it so they could find it again. This time it took on the form of a large boulder.

Taking a look ahead of them, they saw that they were located behind what looked like a strip of homes at the edge of town. Each building was constructed of mud bricks and wood. Though the planet of Hocarro had received some visits from other planets in the galaxy and were offered new technology, they enjoyed their way of life. Rose respected them greatly for it. They took pride in themselves and their way of living.

The Doctor and Rose walked between a set of houses to have a look at the city from the road. Rose rolled her eyes and laughed when she had a look at it.

“Doctor, I don’t see any decorations or stands. Are you sure you got the date right?”

“Hey, you’re the one that drove,” he reminded her. “Looks like I’m not the only one that gets their timing off a bit.”

“Excuse me,” Rose called to a passing woman. “Sorry to bother you, but we were hoping to see the Festival of Roeghan.”

“Roeghan?” the woman asked in surprise. “I’m afraid you’re quite late. Or perhaps very early. It was five months ago.”

“Maybe more than a little off,” the Doctor teased Rose.

“What’s the date today?” Rose asked her.

“Third day of the seventh month,” she responded.

“So the festival is the second month?” Rose continued.

“Yes.”

Rose shot the Doctor a haughty smile. She’d gotten her timing perfect. It was that the Doctor had the wrong date.

“Thank you very much,” Rose said to the woman. “Looks like we’ll have to come back another time.”

Rose and the Doctor started walking away when the woman called after them.

“If it’s a festival you’re looking for, there will be one in just three days. The first celebration of the Gifted One.”

The Doctor’s curiosity took hold and he led Rose back.

“The Gifted One?” the Doctor inquired. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of him.”

“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t have. He was touched by the gods only one year ago.”

“When you say touched by the gods, what does that mean exactly?” the Doctor asked.

“He has received the gift of healing. He needs only to raise his hand above a person and they are completely healed. It’s not just illness and minor injuries, but he saves those near death. A cousin of mine went to visit him to relieve the crippling arthritis in his hands, but the Gifted One does true miracles. My cousin had lost his leg seven years ago in an accident. When seen by the Gifted One, his entire leg grew back all the way down to his toes. He was completely restored! If it is a festival that you want to attend, you should stay for the Celebration of the Gifted One.”

Rose and the Doctor were interested before, but were now itching with intense curiosity.

“Is there any way we can see the Gifted One?” Rose inquired.

“Of course. He has a line to see him every day. Those who are not able to see him before nightfall sometimes sleep outside his hut until morning.”

“Where can we find him?” asked the Doctor.

“Just follow this road out of town and down to the forest. A small path breaks off the road and will lead you straight to his door.” The woman pointed to the forest about one and a half miles down the road.

Rose and the Doctor both thanked her and were barely able to suppress the urge to run. They made their way at a quick casual pace until they came to the line of people waiting to be seen. Waiting was difficult, but it wasn’t long before they stood at the front of the line. Knowing they wouldn’t be able to see any miracles performed on themselves, they pushed past the person standing guard at the door to watch the healing of the person before them.

“You can’t do that!” the guard said in surprise, obviously not used to people pushing past.

“It’s fine,” the Doctor told him. “We only want to watch.”

Their eyes widened when they saw that the Gifted One as a boy no older than twelve. He sat cross-legged on a rug in the middle of the tiny hut. The man that was before them in line was laid out on the floor in front of the boy. He had been wheeled in on a sort of wicker push chair with obvious signs of respiratory distress.

“My ribs,” the man told him. “They broke and the Doctor says one of them poked my lung. He can’t fix it. I-“

“Do not worry,” the boy told him. The Gifted One raised his hand over the man’s body and a large swarm of tiny lights flowed out of his fingertips. The lights roved over the man’s body and returned to the boy’s hand, disappearing without a trace. The man took a deep breath and grinned from ear to ear. As soon as he realized he’d been cured, he knelt before the boy and bowed until his head touched the ground.

“Doctor,” Rose whispered, “were those-?”

“Yes, they were,” the Doctor answered.

“I wish you happiness and continued health,” the boy told the man. The man promptly left and was heard sharing the good news with the woman who had brought him.

Rose and the Doctor, sensing it was their turn, went and kneeled in front of the boy.

“Which of you needs healing?” the Gifted One asked.

“Neither actually,” the Doctor replied. “We’ve only come to talk with you.”

“Talk?” the boy asked in surprise.

“Talk?” a woman barked in irritation as she stepped out of the shadows in the back corner of the hut. “He doesn’t have time to waste talking when there are people out there in need of attention.”

The Doctor leaned forward and whispered to the boy. “You weren’t touched by the gods, were you? I think I know exactly where you got them from.”

The boy gaped in shock. “Mother, please leave us. I’d like to speak with these people.”

“What?!”

“Mother, please,” he insisted.

The woman bowed her head and conceded. “Yes, Gifted One.”

Rose watched the woman go. “Even your mum calls you Gifted One?”

“I don’t have a name anymore,” the boy lamented.

“I’m sure they won’t let us stay long,” the Doctor told him. “So why don’t you tell me about this spacecraft you found?”

“How did you know?” His shoulders slumped and he wore a dejected frown.

“Because we’ve come across that type of healing before,” Rose explained. “You found a spacecraft somewhere and found those little lights.”

The Gifted One nodded sorrowfully. “Does this mean you’re going to take them away?”

“Well… I guess that so long as they’re safe and you want to keep them, we don’t have to take them,” the Doctor answered. “We need to see that they’re safe though. They might look like they do good things, but they have the potential of being very harmful in the end. We also need to make sure the ship is safe. We don’t want anyone getting inside and getting injured if they try turning it on. Think you could tell us where this spaceship is so we can have a look?”

The Gifted One told them exactly where to find it. He had been searching for a place to build a fort when he happened upon the spacecraft. He started turning it into his playhouse when he happened upon the nanogenes. Having gone there several times, he found the best path so that he could always find it.

“Follow along the bottom of the cliff for about an hour. You’ll see a tree on the edge of the forest that has been scraped on one side by a large boulder that fell from the top of the cliff. Of course the boulder will be there, too. Turn into the forest there and walk straight for about ten minutes and you’ll see three trees that had fallen on their sides from the crash. And that’s where it is.”

The Doctor and Rose thanked him and promised to return right after they checked the ship. It was a long walk, but they found the Chula spacecraft exactly where the Gifted One said.

The Doctor looked it over well from the outside and when he decided it looked safe, they entered. It was quite dark, but the Doctor seemed to know just where to go. After just a few moments the lights flickered on and the control panel lit up.

“It could have been pretty bad if the Gifted One ever found that switch,” Rose commented.

“Very bad indeed. There’s no way it could get airborne again, but it has the potential to thrust forward and take out a few more trees. No problems though. I’ll just cut through a few wires and she won’t be able to go anywhere.”

As the Doctor worked, Rose looked around. It was quite a small ship. There were two narrow cots at the rear and two passengers were probably all it could hold as there really wasn’t much room to move about. In the back, on the cots, she found that it really had become a little boy’s fort. There was a small box of toys, an assortment of snacks, and a lantern.

“Kinda sad,” Rose remarked. “He gets the ability to heal people, but he doesn’t get to play and just be a kid anymore.”

“Well, the way I’m setting things up, the only thing that will be able to be used in this ship is the nanogene containment,” the Doctor informed her. “That way, if he ever wants to give it up, he only needs to cast them away and they’ll come back here. And if he does that, he can always come back for them again if he needs them.”

“That’s fantastic, but if you’re turning off all energy except that, what about the cloaking you were talking about?”

“That’s controlled from the inside, but powered by the outside. I’ll make sure it stays hidden.”

“Won’t the power run out though?”

“The Chula are very advanced in technology. The energy keeps cycling, never diminishing. It’s sort of like a permanent magnet synchronous generator, but it’s not electric. It’s… never mind. We can talk about it later if you’re interested.”

“This ship though, it doesn’t look like a warship. Are the nanogenes safe then?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “No programming that prepares people for battle or anything. It’s like their first aid kit. Perfectly safe.” Just at that moment, the lights went out again. The ship was dead.

“Sounds like a perfect fix then,” Rose said with a grin. “How about we go tell him?”

When they stepped out of the ship, Rose took a look at it. There was nothing there. If she looked really hard, she could see the outline of it, but unless you were looking for it, you’d think it was only forest.

On the way back to the hut, Rose’s feet started to ache. They’d done a lot of walking that day and they still had the walk back into town after they visited the Gifted One. Her feet ached more at the thought.

When they got back to the hut, they both sighed and stepped to the back of the line. As soon as they were in place, the man that stood by the door informed them that the Gifted One requested that they enter as soon as they returned. When they entered, the Gifted One’s mother huffed in irritation and left without being told.

“Did you find it?” the boy asked.

“Yep,” the Doctor answered as he and Rose knelt down. “Safe and hidden. You have to take extra care in remembering how to get there because it’s invisible now. You won’t be able to find it unless you know where it is.”

“Okay. But what about this stuff, these lights? I don’t even know what they are.”

“They’re called nanogenes. Do you know what robots are?” At the boy’s nod, the Doctor continued. “Nanogenes are itty bitty robots that are able to restore a person. You took them in, acting as their host, and therefore have the ability to call them at will.”

 “This is quite a big responsibility that you’ve given yourself,” Rose said seriously. “Healing everyone that comes to you, that’s a big job. It’s demanding and it’s likely to get more demanding as more people hear about you. We want you to know that you can give it up at any time. All you have to do is force them out of you with that thought in mind and they’ll go back to where they came from.”

“Thank you,” the Gifted One said sincerely, “but I see the people that come in here and think, who else can help them? It’s true that I get tired, but am I to ask them to leave and force them to suffer?”

“We respect you for that. Really we do,” Rose assured him. “It’s incredible the way you reach out to those suffering, but we don’t want you to suffer either. Take care of yourself and if you need a little break, make sure you get one, alright?”

“Thank you, but you won’t tell anyone about how I do it, will you? My people don’t accept new technology well. I would be in very big trouble…”

“Not to worry,” the Doctor told him. “Our little secret. We won’t tell a soul.”

“Thank you, friends. Sincerely, thank you,” the boy said ardently. “Please though, do either of you need any healing? I’d like to repay you.”

“Thanks, but we’re both well. Fit as fiddles,” the Doctor declared. “We better be off. Oh, and enjoy your festival. I hear it’s going to be grand.”

The Doctor headed for the door, but Rose reached out to the Gifted One and patted his hand. “Take care.”

Rose pulled her hand back and the nanogenes flowed quickly out of the boy and swirled furiously around Rose. She and the boy gaped in shock. The swirling stopped suddenly and they blew past the boy in a violent rush like they’d been swept up by a powerful gust of wind.

Very slowly, the nanogenes returned to the Gifted One, but he didn’t see them because he was staring at Rose in astonishment.

“What are you?” he asked quietly.

Rose was frozen in shock, unable to respond. Her eyes flashed gold and the boy gasped.

“A god,” he whispered.

Rose snapped out of it then and quickly stood up. “No,” she told him. “No, not a god. Just… Just me.”

“Rose, are you coming?” the Doctor asked as he poked his head through the doorway.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. She glanced back at the Gifted One and ran out of the hut. He’d been kneeling and bowing to her.

“You okay?” the Doctor asked her as they headed back up the road. “You look a bit upset.”

“I’m fine,” she replied, forcing a smile.

“It’s your feet, isn’t it? Quite a bit of walking,” the Doctor acknowledged.

Her feet didn’t hurt anymore, but she still nodded in agreement. She couldn’t tell him that the nanogenes restored her mind, that she remembered now, because it would cause him to panic. Right now, she was panicked enough for the both of them.

* * *

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the Doctor asked her over dinner. “You been very quiet since we left Hocarro.”

“Yeah, just feeling a bit disjointed I guess,” Rose said with a shrug.

“How so? Do you feel ill?” the Doctor worried.

“No, not like that. Just… I don’t know. A little off,” she explained. “I think I’m going to go to bed early.”

“Early like now? Because that would be incredibly early.” The Doctor was becoming increasingly concerned.

“Yeah, I just need to pull myself together.”

“Why don’t you let me take you to the infirmary first? Just give you a once over?”

“No, I’m okay. I just want to rest. Goodnight, love.” Rose walked over to where he sat and gave him a goodnight kiss.

Rose laid awake in bed for a few hours as she tried to quell the anxiety swirling around inside her. It felt like time was spinning around in her head. She could feel it swimming in many directions and it was hard for her to understand. Images of all kinds flashed in her mind and it was making her feel slightly ill. Worse still was the feeling that something was coming, something bad. She thought of going to the Doctor, but she feared what his response would be. He would try to fight what she knew was inevitable. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was a hard fact implanted in her head that something devastating was coming for her.

Finally, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep.

The Doctor sat in the library, trying his best to lose himself in the books, but he was nearly as anxious as Rose. He was very concerned about Rose's well-being, but his time sense was upsetting him, too. Something was coming and he felt helpless against it. You couldn't fight what you didn't know.

The cloister bell rang and the Doctor leapt off the sofa. That sound was one of the most terrifying he'd ever heard. It meant the TARDIS itself was threatened and therefore everyone inside.

He ran down the corridor, stumbling and bouncing off the walls as the TARDIS rocked and jerked.

"Rose!" he cried out. When he found their room empty, he shouted even louder. "Rose!"

The Doctor stumbled into the control room and spotted Rose up the ramp. "What's going on? Are we crashing?"

Rose turned to him and he froze. It was more terrifying than he'd imagined. Rose's eyes glowed and she was encompassed by a nimbus of light. The power emanating from her was so strong that it wafted her hair like a soft breeze.

"Oh god," the Doctor breathed in horror. "Rose, what happened?"

"I remembered. My memory came unblocked. I remember Bad Wolf."

"That's okay. I can fix it," the Doctor assured her. "I can block it again."

The Doctor stepped toward her, but Rose raised her arm and he softly slid back to where he was.

"You won't kill yourself for me again," she insisted.

"Then you can do it. Just push the energy back into the TARDIS. Get rid of it before you burn!"

"I can't. If I push it into the TARDIS, they'll target it. It will put you and both TARDISs in danger. I won't do it."

"Who? Who are 'they'?" the Doctor worried.

"They hide their name from me. They are formless shadows with glowing eyes. They call to me. Mock me. Threaten me. Bad Wolf flared for a single second and they found me. I must hide," Rose explained.

"Then we'll hide. We'll find a way. Expel the vortex and we'll-"

"I have not absorbed it. I have not stolen it this time. I run with it. I have always run with it, flowing along its edge. I'm sorry, my Doctor. I can't hide with you. I have to lead them away."

"No!" the Doctor begged. "Please, Rose!"

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as tears slowly ran down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

Rose walked to the TARDIS door and opened it wide.

The Doctor was horrified. They weren't crashing; Rose had pushed the TARDIS to a dangerous speed. The time vortex spun wildly outside the door.

"Don't look for me. Please don't," Rose pleaded. "If I can, I'll find you, but don't wait for me and don't search. Mourn me and let me go."

"Rose don't!" the Doctor bellowed as he rushed for her.

"I'm sorrier than you'll ever know."

Rose leapt from the TARDIS into the violent vortex. The Doctor stopped at the door and looked around for her, but there was nothing.

He rushed to the console and worked as fast as he could. It didn't matter what she said; he'd find her.


	2. Chapter 2

The moment Rose leapt into the time vortex, the Doctor began tracing her energy through it. He could track many things, but Bad Wolf was a strong entity that didn't wish to be found. Her trail was light and nearly impossible to follow. If the TARDIS didn't know her so intimately, he'd find no trace at all.

The Doctor watched the monitor with intense concentration. He saw where her trail ended and threw the TARDIS out of the vortex as quickly as he could. He was half a second off though. He felt it before he saw it and cursed himself as he stared at the monitor. The TARDIS was floating in open space. A split second off in the time vortex could mean a hundred years off and a galaxy away. He wanted to try again, to get it right, but her trail would already have vanished completely. He lost her.

The Doctor collapsed onto the jump seat and stared out in disbelief. It had all happened so quickly. It was hard to believe it even happened at all. Rose should be sound in bed. She should be, but she wasn't. He lost her. The image of her leaping from the TARDIS was burned into his mind and kept playing over and over. It was utterly crushing. Nothing mattered as much as Rose, and she left, asking him to let go. He'd stopped breathing minutes ago and suppressed his respiratory bypass. His chest was starting to burn but he couldn't bring himself to take that next breath. He didn't want to. He imagined himself walking the TARDIS corridors alone. Lonely meals. Empty bed. No hand to hold. No one to curl up with in the library. No Rose. Tears slid slowly down his cheeks at the thought. He couldn't bear it. He could never let her go. He couldn't and he wouldn't.

* * *

Seven months later, his resolve was the same. He wanted to actively search for her, but he knew it would be nothing but a waste of time. He needed to track her. For months he traveled through the galaxies, searching for mechanical parts he could use. The TARDIS could track time travel devices through time and space. But Rose didn't have a device. The TARDIS could track ships across galaxies. But he wasn't looking for a ship. The TARDIS could differentiate different species on a planet and monitor their movements. But he couldn't track a particular being and that system could only cover a single planet. He needed to find one person in a galaxy with 400 million planetary systems in the time span of 100 years. It was an impossible task, but he was determined to do it.

It took months to gather the parts and create the blueprints. It took the Doctor months more to assemble, review, check his calculations, and test out his creation. He was scared when it was ready. He was afraid of what it might find or what it might not. For seven months, he suppressed that fear as he focused on his work. Now that the time had come, his worry returned with full force. Rose had been scared, terrified by what was after her. She’d been frightened enough to summon the Bad Wolf, something she knew was dangerous. What if this threat was too strong? What if he lost her permanently? What if she was already truly gone?

The Doctor had to suppress his fears again and focus on his search. He couldn’t do anything to help her by standing around worrying. Using large thick cables, he hooked his machine up to the TARDIS console. His machine worked, but there was no way he could achieve the large search field he wanted without significant power. Once hooked up, the Doctor went to retrieve some of Rose’s DNA. It was the simplest task by far. Because Rose had suffered a few severe injuries in the past, the Doctor insisted that they keep three pints of her blood in the infirmary in case she were to ever need it. She complied when he agreed to do it, too.  

The Doctor released a small amount of Rose’s stored blood into a little vial and took it with him back to the control room. With steady hands, he poured a few drops into a tiny containment tube and readied the machine. He wasn’t sure that there were any true gods in the universe, but he prayed to them as a collective.

The Doctor took a deep breath and pressed the button that started the machine. The TARDIS groaned in protest as her energy was forced into the machine. The dials on the console were spinning the same as they were on his machine. The TARDIS lights dimmed and the machine began to spark. His ship and his contraption were being overwhelmed by each other and he wasn’t sure which to attend to first. Before he could decide, the machine blew out from the top and the TARDIS was forced to divert to auxiliary power.

The Doctor rubbed his face and pulled at his hair in frustration. Then a thought occurred to him. The dials on the machine and the TARDIS had been spinning. Where did they stop? He checked the TARDIS first. Specific coordinates were displayed. The first few numbers on his machine had been blackened by the small explosion, but the numbers he could read, matched the ones on the TARDIS. It might have found her.

The Doctor unhooked the wires that connected the machines and the moment the TARDIS was back to full power, he launched flight to the inset coordinates. He waited at the door for the TARDIS to finish materializing and rushed out the second it landed.

The Doctor was unsure of the planet’s name, but it was located on the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy in the year 16386. He’d landed just in front of a large hospital and if the name ‘Nerva Memorial Hospital’ was the same ‘Nerva’ he encountered about 300 years ago in their timeline, then he guessed it was a human population.

The Doctor entered the hospital and moved straight to the receptionist. She was human, as he’d suspected. He told her he was looking for a specific patient and pulled a picture of him and Rose out of his jacket pocket. The woman’s mouth fell open and she just blinked at him. The Doctor knew Rose was there and was ready to run, but didn’t know where to go.

“Where is she?” he pleaded.

“Third floor, second corridor, in-“

The Doctor couldn’t wait for her to finish nor could he wait for the lift. He ran up the stairs and rushed down the second corridor, looking in each of the rooms. When he reached the door at the end, he found that it was a ward with several patients. He scanned them all from the doorway and spotted his Rose in the last bed on the right. He hurried to her side and began scanning her for any sign of injury. She looked whole and he was filled with relief. Gently, he lifted her hand and in both of his.

“Sir,” one of the nurses said fiercely as she walked toward him. “I’m going to have to ask you not to touch the patient.”

“But she’s my Rose,” the Doctor replied quietly.

“You know her?” the woman asked in shock.

“Yes,” he answered. “What’s wrong with her?”

He could have easily used his sonic screwdriver to assess her himself, but the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. He was too overwhelmed to think properly.

“Well, she’s in a coma,” the nurse told him gently. “But actually, we don’t really understand it. She was never admitted. One day, while doing rounds, we just found her lying on a bed in one of the rooms. We tried to assess her, to help her, but we’ve never seen anything like it. Her heart is barely beating and she hardly breathes, but her body doesn’t seem to suffer for it. We tried intravenous fluids and a nasogastric tube for nutrition, but the needle could not penetrate her skin and we were unable to force her mouth open. We couldn’t even lift her eyelids to have a look at her eyes. We tried to help her, but we were helpless. Still, she breathes and her heart beats. What’s more, her brain activity does not look like other coma patients. Her brain activity is still low, but there’s activity in places we wouldn’t expect. We simply don’t understand.

“The heads of the hospital have wanted to throw her out for ages, considering she’s not actually a patient and has no way of paying the bill. Her release was made official even, but no one knows what to do with her. The nurses, we’ve fought for her. She requires no care, only a bed. There are so many beds here; what’s one more person? What cost is it to keep her here? The only service we can provide is a sponge bath every other day, and we nurses are glad to do it. She seems like such a hopeless case, but I’ve never stopped hoping.”

“Thank you,” the Doctor said sincerely. “Is there any way I can have a look at her chart?”

“I could have a look for it, but I highly doubt it’s here. It’s probably been transferred to the archives by now.”

The Doctor’s anxiety returned. “How long has she been here?”

“Sixteen years now.” The nurse gave him a quizzical look, wondering how he was unaware of that fact. “I remember because it was the same year I started working here.”

The TARDIS and the Doctor’s machine had found Rose, but he was only given a single set of coordinates. He tried to tell himself that he was lucky he didn’t arrive later, but he still felt miserable that she’d been left in this state for so long.

The Doctor undid the lock on the bed and moved it away from the wall.

“What are you doing?” the nurse asked anxiously.

“I want to see for myself what her mental state is,” he explained as he moved to stand behind Rose’s head.

“You’re a telepath?” she asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. I just assumed you were human. Her, too. I just assumed that since she was on this planet that she came from here. Are you long lived? Is that why she shows no signs of aging? I thought it might be the sort of stasis she’s in, but-“

“We’re not from here,” the Doctor informed her, not wishing to go into Rose’s unique DNA. He took a deep breath and gently placed his hands on Rose’s head.

“Wait!” the nurse said suddenly. “How do I know you’re a friend of hers? How do I know that you’re not going to hurt her?”

The Doctor smiled kindly and handed her the photo of him and Rose. “You are a wonderful nurse. I can’t thank you enough for looking after Rose the way that you have, but it’s time that I care for her now.”

“Brown,” the nurse said quietly. “I always wondered what color her eyes were. Alright, I turn her over to your care, but please be careful with her.”

The Doctor put the photo back in his pocket and put himself back in position. Gently, he placed two fingers on each of Rose’s temples and closed his eyes to concentrate. Gently he reached out to her mind. Just as soon as he did, a shadow figure with red eyes lashed out at him. The Doctor jumped back, immediately releasing contact.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” the nurse asked with concern.

The Doctor looked at Rose and was devastated by the realization of what she was suffering. He calmed himself the best he could and moved to try again. “It’s nothing,” he told the nurse. “I was just startled.”

The Doctor was ready for the extra presence this time as he entered Rose’s mind again. Angry shadows flew around the edges of her mind, but he ignored them and pressed further, probing gently for Rose’s thoughts, not seeking memories, but Rose herself.

“Doctor?” Rose’s mind questioned when she became aware of his presence.

“Yes,” he answered her telepathically.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” she told him. “You weren’t supposed to find me.”

“You know that I could never let you go like that. Something was after you. I couldn’t let you fight it alone.”

“I failed. I wanted to hide, but they found me almost instantly.”

“But you were Bad Wolf. Why didn’t you destroy them?”

“They’re transcendental beings made out of the very matter of time. If I destroyed them, it would erase them from all of time. As awful as their influence has been on the universe, they ended up shaping the universe through their deeds. If I erased them, the entire history of the universe would be rewritten. I couldn’t let that happen. Neither could I force them away. Bad Wolf did the only thing she could. She pulled the beings inside of me, adapted me for my new purpose, and left me, leaving nothing but a speck of herself.”

“No. No, no, no, no, no,” the Doctor argued. “This can’t be your purpose. You can’t do this.”

“But it is. I’m a prison for them. My duty is to keep them locked away for eternity.”

“Eternity, Rose? You can’t. You can’t live this for eternity.” The Doctor was losing himself in the horror of this fate she’d brought upon herself. He was losing his composure and had to focus on being calm and rational.

“I’m not suffering, Doctor. I know how horrible this must seem to you, but I don’t suffer. I don’t feel pain or discomfort. Bad Wolf made me immortal and invincible and to make up for that, she destroyed my sense of time. All of time seems like only a minute. I was changed into this cage only a minute ago and billions of years in the future will all be contained in that same minute. I only need to hold them for a minute. My only regret is the pain this causes you.

“I wanted to stay with you forever. I love you more than you’ll ever know. It breaks my heart now to think of you being lonely. I’ve broken the biggest promise I’ve ever made. I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry. I hope one day you’ll be able to forgive me. Please forgive me,” Rose pleaded.

“I can’t let this be, Rose. I can’t let you do this,” the Doctor responded miserably.

“You can’t interfere. There’s nothing that you can do to change this and I beg you not to try. Please, Doctor, accept this, forgive me, and find happiness again. Please be happy again. Please.”

“No,” he replied firmly.

“I love you,” she told him.

The Doctor was pushed from her mind and when he returned to outer awareness, he found that he was crying. When he looked down at Rose, she had tear tracks running down the sides of her face.

“You can’t fix her, can you?” the nurse asked sadly. Though she heard nothing that passed between Rose and the Doctor, she wept, too.

“I will,” the Doctor declared. “I’ll find an answer and bring her back to me. Or I’ll die trying.”

Together, the Doctor and the nurse wheeled Rose’s bed into the lift and out of the front door.

“I’ll wait with her here if you’d like to bring your transport up to the door,” the nurse offered.

“No, that’s alright. I can take her from here.”

The Doctor lifted Rose from the bed and cradled her in his arms as he walked back to the TARDIS. It wasn’t that far of a walk, but it was made longer as he traveled deep into the TARDIS to find the zero room.

The zero room was quite special. It was a pocket dimension with physical laws unlike the rest of the universe. It was used to rapidly heal a person, especially neurological healing. It was empty and quiet and helped one find peace. He knew that this room would not cure Rose, but it would keep her at ease and assist her in responding to his telepathic connection.

The Doctor carried her to the center of the room. It was not zero gravity and he walked the same as he did anywhere else in the TARDIS, but when he stepped back from her, keeping her in place, she laid suspended in midair. Though he knew she was invulnerable, she looked so helpless and delicate.

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. As much as he didn’t want to leave her there alone, he had work to do. He had to find a way to fix this. Rose needed him and he needed Rose. He’d fix this.

 


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor walked the TARDIS corridors for an hour as he tried to think of a solution to Rose’s predicament, but realized he didn’t know enough yet to solve anything. He returned to the zero room, determined to speak with Rose again.

The Doctor stood at Rose’s head again, put himself into position, and gently probed her awareness.

“Doctor?” Rose asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

“What are you doing here? I told you-”

“I’m not giving up on you,” the Doctor insisted. “We can solve this. I just need to know more.”

“I told you that there’s nothing to solve.”

“But there is,” he argued. “How did they find you? You weren’t Bad Wolf, but they still found you.”

“But I was. For a split second in the Gifted One’s hut, Bad Wolf flared. The nanogenes restored my memory and when I remembered Bad Wolf, she flared.”

“In the Gifted One’s hut? You couldn’t have connected to the time vortex without the TARDIS assisting you.” The Doctor stated it as a fact, but had a terrible feeling that he was wrong.

“I don’t need the TARDIS anymore. When I became the Bad Wolf, I absorbed the time vortex, taking its full energy inside of me. You put it back and hid my memory of it, but I have been connected to it ever since. A ghost of the Bad Wolf flows along the edge of the time vortex. A ghost of the Bad Wolf is a speck in my mind. With my memory unblocked, I could feel it. I could feel time. I can call the energy and it will protect me. I can no longer change what doesn’t affect me, but I can protect myself and, by extension, you. It exhausts me and it hurts. It's excruciating, but it doesn’t destroy me.

“The shadows, being made of time, saw the power that I stole and have searched for the Bad Wolf ever since. That one flare let them track me. I tried to hide, but it was too late.”

“I know what they are, Rose. I’ve fought them before. They are the Pantheon of-“

“The Pantheon of Discord. I know,” said Rose. “They live in my mind and I see them.”

“Then you know they can be fought.”

“We can’t. There’s too much at risk. They see me as I see them. They live in my mind and have seen everything. They know who Bad Wolf is and they mean to destroy her. They mean to end the Bad Wolf paradox.”

“The Bad Wolf messages you left for yourself?”

“No, bigger. There is only one Rose Tyler. Out of all alternate universes, there is only one Rose Tyler. I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. Bad Wolf sees to my conception and sees me through birth, childhood, and adolescence. Bad Wolf creates the events that lead me to the Doctor. I become the Bad Wolf and the Bad Wolf creates herself. Bad Wolf sees to my conception and sees me through birth, child-“

“Yes, I see,” the Doctor interrupted her. “Not just a predestination paradox; it’s an ontological paradox. You have no true beginning. The first twenty years of your existence are a loop. You’re a being that has no logical creation.”

“Which makes Bad Wolf easy to destroy. One move to break the circle of events and I can never born. If I'm not born, Bad Wolf will not be created and so cannot create me. The Pantheon of Discord feed off of chaos. To destroy the Bad Wolf paradox would give them ultimate power. I never realized just how important I was until now. I knew that I was helpful and assisted in saving people, but if the Bad Wolf paradox is destroyed so is the universe.

“The Bad Wolf saved the Doctor who saves countless others. Bad Wolf destroyed the dalek fleet which sought to destroy everyone. I returned to this universe to help you destroy the daleks again. Together we prevented the daleks from using the reality bomb which would have destroyed not just this universe, but all universes. That’s what the Pantheon of Discord wants to see. Only the daleks and transcendental beings would survive the reality bomb. All the chaos from my birth to the daleks’ reality bomb would be their doing and they would feast for eternity on that chaos.”

“They want to kill you before you become the Bad Wolf?”

“Yes,” Rose affirmed.

“This can still be done then,” the Doctor said hopefully. "How many are there?"

"Five."

“Can you release them?”

“I can, but never will.”

“Can you release them one at a time?” the Doctor pressed.

“I can, but never will.”

“But I can do this,” the Doctor persisted. “They’re easy to track. The TARDIS can actually lock onto them, practically putting them on a leash. I can find them and secure them.”

“Secure them?” Rose asked.

The Doctor became more hopeful just at Rose’s question. She was curious and wanted to hear what he had to say. He wasn’t immediately dismissed like every other time.

“I have a device, the Oubliette of Eternity. Well, it’s like the Oubliette of Eternity, only portable. Its function is to send beings to the antiverse. The antiverse is a universe made of anti-time, a place with no time. No past, no present, no future. I can trap them there and they can never get out. Their history will not be erased, but they won’t be able to do any more harm.”

“But if you failed, if you couldn’t find them in time-“

“I will,” the Doctor vowed.

“They would do everything they could to kill me. They can completely control the environment. They would use the entire world around me to kill me.”

“And I’ll protect you every second. I can and I will,” the Doctor solemnly swore.

“It’s too risky,” Rose said again. “I’m not worth the whole universe.”

“You are to me. I can do this. I promise. I will see that you’re safe and they are locked away. You have to trust me. You have to believe me. Can you trust me? Please tell me you do.”

Rose was silent. When the Doctor wasn’t speaking with her, she was at peace, but when he was with her, she longed for him and her life back. She wasn’t sure what to do. The stakes had never been higher. The Doctor always came out on top, but what if this was the time he couldn’t?

“Please,” the Doctor pleaded desperately.

Rose thought of the life she was losing in her current state. She thought of all the incredible times she’d had and how she’d never have that again. And the Doctor… She was tearing him apart by staying in this state. She’d be like this for eternity. He would keep her aboard the TARDIS and never be able to properly mourn her. He would keep this comatose woman with him for the rest of his long life. He’d never let go and never stop suffering. The Doctor had suffered enough in his life. She loved him too much to do that to him. If he swore that he could save her then she knew that he would. He would do anything to save her.

“You can’t fail,” she told him. “Cannot. The universe depends on that. You cannot fail.”

“I won’t fail,” he vowed again.

“Are you ready?”

“Not yet, but soon,” he assured her. “I just need to prepare a few things. I’ll be back soon.”

“I have no sense of time,” she reminded him.

“Then I’ll be back in a minute, won’t I?” he teased.

The Doctor gently retreated from her mind and took a deep cleansing breath. He was sure he could do this, but the task still terrified him. She didn’t need to remind him how serious it was. He knew.

The Doctor was back to walking the halls in thought, but this time his thoughts were racing. He needed to be prepared and so had to think of every aspect. Obviously, he’d have to prepare the TARDIS to track the members of the Pantheon, but he’d start by packing things he might need. First was the antiverse portal. The box-room was storage for many, many, many things and each time the Doctor entered he wished that he would organize it better. It took quite a bit of searching, but he finally managed to find it. In the process, he found a miniscule defibrillator that was only a bit larger than a cigarette lighter. He hoped that he’d never need to use it, but just in case.

His next thought was how to carry them so he headed to the wardrobe room. He selected a plain, canvas messenger bag and stowed his gadgets inside. Looking about the room, he realized another thing; he had to blend in. He didn’t want Rose or Jackie wondering about his identity. He didn’t want them to ever guess that he was an alien. It could ruin how they accepted the Doctor when they first met him. His bowtie and jacket made him stand out which was the opposite of what he wanted. It didn’t take him long to select an outfit. The shadows would arrive in Rose’s timeline anywhere between the late 80s and 2005. The easiest fashion to fit in? Jeans and a plain t-shirt. Once dressed, he slung the messenger bag over his shoulder so that the strap crossed his chest. That way, it was secure. He was sure there’d be running and he didn’t want it slipping off his shoulder.

Considering it was Rose’s health that he was trying to protect, he moved to the infirmary to gather bandages and liquid medication to promote fast healing. Having no good pockets in his outfit to store his sonic screwdriver, he put that in his bag, too. There were many other items he considered, but decided that he needed to keep his load light.

He was ready.

The Doctor played with the TARDIS controls, preparing it for a chase, and returned to Rose in the zero room. He positioned himself for telepathic communication right away.

"Rose?"

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Almost. You remember that you have to release only one at a time, right?"

"Yes."

"You're certain you can do that?" he pressed.

"Certain."

"Okay, I want to be in the control room when it's released. It will move quickly and I want to be ready. I know you have no sense of time, but I think that I can set up a sort of countdown for you. When it reaches zero, I want you to release one single being. Tell me again that you understand. Just one. When I've captured it, I'll come back and ask you to release another. Only one at a time and only when I say," he said very seriously.

"I understand, Doctor. Only release when you say and only one at a time. I'm ready when you are."

The Doctor's head ached with the amount of concentration it took to set a timer in her time resistant mind, but he believed that he managed it. "Can you feel it? Can you feel the countdown?"

"Five minutes and counting down," she affirmed.

"Good. When it hits zero, release one and only one."

As soon as he finished that thought, he pulled out of her mind and ran to the control room. Five minutes was plenty of time, but as he repeated over and over, he needed to be ready. He was aware of each passing second and watched the same countdown in his head. His hands were placed on the controls as the last five seconds counted down. It was only a second after zero when a shadow form rushed through the console room and through the closed TARDIS door.

The TARDIS monitor lit up the shadow's path and the Doctor followed, locking onto its course. The TARDIS was set to exit the time vortex at the exact moment that the being did. His TARDIS once told him that she didn't always take him where he wanted to go, but took him where he needed to be. She knew. His setup was perfect and he knew the TARDIS would be precise.

The TARDIS jerked when it was thrust so forcefully out of the vortex. It steadied, but still finished materializing with a thud that nearly knocked him off his feet. He glanced at the coordinates and rushed outside. It was summer of 1989. He was looking for three-year-old Rose.

It took the Doctor only a second to find his bearings. He was just down the road from Peckham Rye Common and it looked like there was a summer funfair going on. There were many people walking about, going to and from the fair and he was anxious as he scanned the crowd for just one tiny, little girl.

"Come on now, Rose. No more dallying," Jackie Tyler insisted as she led her young daughter by the hand. "It was fun, but we're heading home. Now stop dragging your feet or we'll miss the bus."

Rose stopped in her tracks and pointed up at the large assortment of balloons a clown was holding. "Can I-?"

"Rose, I've spent more than I should have on you today. I told you, no more asking-"

Before Jackie could finish, the clown extended a balloon to Rose.

"Oh," Jackie said in surprise. "Thank you. Rose, what do you tell the nice man?"

Rose took the balloon and delivered the 'thank you' her mum had prompted her for. Jackie immediately started hurrying down the pavement again.

"Jackie?" a woman called after her. "Jackie Tyler?"

Jackie stopped and turned and her face lit up. "Oh, Meg! It's been so long!"

Once the woman called Meg caught up with her, Jackie pulled her into a one-armed hug, still holding onto Rose with her other hand. All thoughts of catching the bus fled from Jackie's mind as she began catching up with her old friend. She felt Rose's hand slip out of hers, and glanced down to look at her. She was still talking, but turned to look over her shoulder for her daughter. When she still didn't see her, her head whipped around to look in the other direction.

"Rose!" Jackie called angrily. "You get back here!"

Rose's balloon had gotten away from her and she was chasing it down the pavement. The wind changed direction suddenly and her balloon with it. Jackie was already after her, but when Rose ran out into the street she panicked. She saw the bus coming and she knew she was too late. Jackie cried out in horror and stepped forward. Running wouldn’t help her. She knew she was too late.

The Doctor wasn't late. It was close, but he wasn't late. He ran full-tilt from the opposite side of the road. He seized Rose by the upper arms and continued running, never slowing in the process. He didn't stop until they were safely on the pavement at Jackie's side.

“Rose!” Jackie cried. She squatted down in front of the small girl and held her arms like letting go would mean losing her again. “Oh god, Rose! What were you thinking running into the street like that?! You were nearly killed. Oh god, I…” Jackie choked up, unable to get a hold of herself. She tried her best to hold back her tears, but they came anyway. “Don’t you do that again. Not ever. Do you understand me?” she scolded. Young Rose was crying much like her mother, trying to hold it in, but she’d been just as frightened. A crowd had gathered and Rose felt even smaller under everyone’s stares.

“Is she alright?!” the bus driver called out as he jogged over to them, leaving the bus full of passengers in the middle of the road. “I stopped as quickly as I could, but she came out of nowhere. I only saw her at the last minute.”

Jackie, the bus driver, Meg, and the gathered crowd were all speaking quickly and almost incoherently, their words fueled by the adrenaline coursing through them. The Doctor had blocked them all out at the start. Rose was safe, but he needed to find the member of the Pantheon.

The Doctor had seen it all from the other side of the road. The balloon didn’t accidently slip from Rose’s fingers; it was jerked from her hand. It was the clown. The Pantheon of Discord were not simply shadows; they could take the form of any sentient being. They could possess a being if given permission from the host, but it was much more common that they morph into a shape of their own design.

The Doctor had watched as the clown waved his hand and Rose’s balloon broke free. The balloon moved, but never ascended, dangling at her height and just out of reach. The Doctor had wanted to take out the antiverse portal, but he’d already saw how things were going to play out. He concentrated on Rose first.

When he safely set her down, he looked up for the clown, but the only sign that he was ever there were the bunch of balloons that had been released and were floating into the sky. He looked up and down the pavement, searching for anyone running. The members of the Pantheon of Discord could change forms, but it wasn’t instant. If they wanted a quick getaway, they had to do so on foot. It wouldn’t go far though. It wouldn’t hop back into the time stream. The way they worked, they’d pick a time and not leave until they finished what they set out to accomplish. The shadow being was near and it would strike again, which meant that the Doctor had to keep close.

“Really, if you hadn’t been there. If you didn’t…”

The Doctor realized then that Jackie was speaking to him.

“I can’t thank you enough. If it weren’t for you, she’d be… Oh god, I can’t even say it. Just… Just thank you. I wish there was more I could do, more I could say… Just thank you. Thank you.”

The Doctor nodded. “It’s alright. Just take extra care with her. She’s jeopardy friendly, I can tell. Just keep her safe.”

Jackie stood and lifted Rose up in her arms where Rose clung back with her entire body. “Oh, we have to take the bus, but I can’t even think about it,” Jackie groaned miserably.

“Where are you going?” the bus driver asked.

“North Peckham. We’re at the Powell Estate,” Jackie answered.

“That’s my bus. No charge,” he told her.

“Alright.” Jackie still looked shaky as she headed for the bus.

“That’s me, too,” the Doctor piped up. “Can I hop on?”

“Of course,” said the driver. “No charge for you either.”

Jackie boarded the back of the bus and the Doctor followed after. He faced the window, not wanting her to take too much notice of him. She’d had a good look at him already and he didn’t want her to remember him when they saw him in the future. There were still four beings after this one, so Jackie was sure to see him again.

When the bus finally reached their stop, the Doctor stepped out first, followed by Jackie who led Rose by the hand. The doors snapped shut suddenly.

“Mum!” Rose cried out. The leg of her trousers was trapped in the closed door.

“Wait!” Jackie bellowed to the driver as she tried to rip the fabric out of the doors. “Wait!”

The bus started moving and Jackie clung to Rose, but they were both being pulled. The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver was out and he quickly opened the bus doors with it. Jackie fell back on her bum at the sudden release, but Rose was safe in her arms.

The Doctor had spotted his prey and dashed after him, pulling out the antiverse portal as he kept pursuit. The portal looked like a small mirror with a wire that connected it to a tiny gun. The Doctor was careful with his aim, making sure no one could possibly get in the way of his target. He fired just before the disguised being turned the corner. The Doctor stopped in his tracks and stared down at the mirror. There, inside, was the shadow figure, struggling violently to get free. It couldn’t fight against the pull and appeared as if it was being sucked deeper inside, shrinking in size like it was being dragged far into its depths. And that was exactly what was happening. The shadow being was being pulled into the antiverse. The Doctor watched and didn’t put it away until there was no sign of the being at all.

One down. Four to go.


	4. Chapter 4

“It’s gone,” the Doctor told Rose through their telepathic connection. “It’s in the antiverse and you’re safe and sound.”

“Thank you,” she replied. “It wasn’t too difficult, was it? I can’t stress it enough: you can’t fail. There are going to be a lot more trials. Tell me you can do it.”

“I can,” he assured her. “And I’m ready for another. I’m going to give you a mental timer again and you let another one go.”

“Alright. Just be careful.”

“With you? Always.”

Once he prepared Rose, he rushed to the console to prepare the TARDIS. In just a few short minutes, another member of the Pantheon of Discord flew through the TARDIS and into the time vortex. The Doctor locked on and the chase began. The Doctor was prepared for the sudden stop this time and stared at the monitor to check their location.  January 1993. Rose was nearing seven years old. With that information, the Doctor set off again to find his dear young Rose.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and spotted her almost immediately. She was on the other side of the busy street, heading toward a large shopping centre. Fearing that waiting for the crosswalk would put him too far behind her, he crossed the street by dodging cars as he went. Horns were blaring angrily at him, but he paid no attention to them. His sight was locked on Rose. He had to be prepared for anything.

He felt better once he caught up to her and traveled a short distance behind. He wanted to be close, but he didn’t want them to suspect they were being followed. Once he thought ‘they’ he finally took a look at Jackie. He was surprised to see she was walking with a baby’s pushchair. Rose had told him before that her mum sometimes helped out friends and neighbors for a little extra cash, as living on the dole wasn’t easy, but he never imagined Jackie babysitting. It looked like six-year-old Rose loved it though. She was chatting happily with her mum while she kept sneaking peeks at the baby, nearly tripping over her long scarf in the process.

Once inside the shopping centre, they headed right to a small restaurant whose side was open to the shopping centre. The Doctor wasn’t sure whether he should enter and have something to eat himself or wait just outside the restaurant. He hadn’t thought about food. He was so determined to track down the Pantheon of Discord that he hadn’t stopped to eat anything between trips. His stomach growled angrily, but he'd waited too long in indecision. Jackie led the baby and Rose to a table near the restaurant’s entrance which kept the Doctor close to them. It couldn’t be a better position, so he leaned against the wall between the restaurant and a clothing store, making himself as comfortable as possible. Every couple minutes he’d sneak a peek at them.

The Doctor caught snippets of their conversation which mostly consisted of Jackie telling Rose to stop worrying about the baby and eat her own food. Rose seemed more interested in giving the baby boy little finger foods and Jackie wanted to finish up so they could do their shopping.

The Doctor turned cold when he saw a man stop in front of the restaurant and just stare straight ahead. The man’s face was void of expression, but there was an intensity about him. The Doctor had little doubt that this was a member of the Pantheon, but he needed to be sure. The reflection in the portal’s mirror would reveal just that. He reached in his bag for the portal, but the man raised his hand and the Doctor knew he was too late. The being was already after Rose.

The Doctor whipped around and saw Rose bent forward in her chair. Jackie jumped to her feet. “Help! Someone help!”

Rose was choking.

The Doctor raced into the restaurant, stood Rose in front of him, and wrapped his arms around her middle. He thrust his hands upward and her small body raised off the floor with each motion. After the fourth thrust, Rose choked and coughed. She was breathing again. The Doctor spun her around to face him just to be sure she was alright. She still looked pale, but she was breathing.

“Oh god, Rose,” Jackie cried as she rushed to her child. “Are you alright? How many times have I told you to chew your food? You-“

The Doctor turned and ran out into the center of the mall and looked around. When he saw the disguised being running up the escalator, he followed after. As soon as he reached the top, he was jerked to a stop by a strong hand on his arm.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” a security guard demanded sternly. “There’s no running in this shopping centre and certainly not on the escalators.”

“That man stole my wallet!” the Doctor lied, pointing at the man still running.

The security guard released him and began jogging after the being. The Doctor was much faster, but not fast enough. The Doctor had kept up well, but when he turned the corner where the Pantheon member had veered off, there was no sign of him. The Doctor stopped and covered his face in frustration. He’d been so close. If it weren’t for that damn security guard…

Said security guard caught up with him. “Did you lose him?”

“Yes,” the Doctor replied bitterly.

“Do you have a good description of him? We could go down to security and file a report. We could have other guards keep an eye out for him,” the security guard offered.

The Doctor groaned. What thief would return to the shopping centre after being caught? But he wasn’t a thief. The Doctor perked up. He was after Rose so he might come back. But did the Doctor want to waste his time with security when he should be looking after Rose? It might be worth a try. If security were out for the being, it might buy the Doctor a little more time to act. Rose would be safe while he filed a small report. The being wouldn’t be able to return that quickly.

“Yes,” the Doctor answered. “I can describe him perfectly.”

The Doctor gave security the man’s description, including the exact clothes he was wearing. When they asked the Doctor his name, he went with ‘John Smith’ so not to bring about suspicion and gave out a fake phone number. Well, it was fake for him. Once finished, he set about the difficult task of finding Rose again, something he hadn’t considered before.

It took him much longer than anticipated and he was close to a full on panic when he found them on the upper floor, exiting the shoe shop. Jackie was once again trying to get Rose to keep moving, but Rose was walking slowly as she examined her new shoes.

“Get your coat back on and zip up. It’s cold out,” Jackie instructed. “And for goodness sake, keep walking. Can’t take all day. Angela’s going to want her baby back.”

Rose huffed but did as her mother said. The Doctor saw that they were headed for the lift and slightly sped up to make it in before them. He went to the controls and pressed the button to keep the doors open. Jackie entered and thanked him without looking up, too busy trying to maneuver the pushchair in lift. Rose entered last and though the Doctor was still holding the lift doors open with the button, the doors forcefully snapped shut, almost crushing Rose between them. The lift started descending before he pressed anything and he reached in his bag for his sonic screwdriver.

“Did that just-?“ Jackie started.

She was cut off by Rose’s strangled cry. “Mum!”

The Doctor and Jackie looked up to see that Rose’s feet had left the floor. Her long scarf had gotten stuck when the doors closed so suddenly. It was wrapped tightly around her neck, keeping her suspended while the lift went down.

“Oh, god!” Jackie shouted, trying to yank the scarf free. The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver whirred and the lift stopped moving. He grabbed Rose by the legs and lifted her up to relieve the tension and allow her to breathe. Her breaths were still labored.

“Pull it off! Pull it over her head,” the Doctor commanded.

Jackie pulled at the scarf from below Rose’s chin but it didn’t move. “I can’t! It’s too tight!” Jackie cried.

“Take her legs then. Hold her up while I cut it free,” the Doctor ordered. Jackie traded places with him and the Doctor had his sonic out again, concealing it from them both the best he could.

“Oh no! What’s that noise?!” Jackie worried at the sound of his sonic. “The lift’s-“

“It’s just the sound the lift makes sometimes when it’s stopped,” the Doctor lied. His screwdriver cut through the scarf, but then Rose started to scream. “Keep her up! It’s her hair. I’m sorry, but I have to…”

The sonic screwdriver next cut through the tips of Rose’s long, dark blond hair. Once she was free, she was thrown off balance in Jackie’s arms, but the Doctor steadied them both before they could topple over. Jackie and Rose both hurried to pull the rest of the scarf away from Rose’s throat. The baby had been screaming through the whole ordeal, none of them paid him any mind, even now that Rose was safe.

“It’s you,” Jackie said when she finally got a good look at the man in the lift. “You’re the man from the restaurant. You saved her again.”

“Just the right place at the right time, I guess,” he chuckled nervously.

“But you ran off. I didn’t get to thank you. And now… I want to thank you, so thank you, but it doesn’t feel like it’s nearly enough.”

“It’s alright. Really,” he told her.

“Do I know you?” she asked. “You seem familiar.”

“Don’t think so,” he answered, reaching toward the lift controls.

“Wait! Are you sure you should do that? What if plummets? Maybe we should call for help,” Jackie said anxiously.

“It’ll be fine now,” he assured her. “You should probably see to that baby.”

When Jackie had turned, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the lift again, being sure to keep it hidden.

The Doctor let Rose, Jackie, and the baby off first, just to be safe, but he believed that it was very unlikely that the shadow being was near. It had been on the top floor and wasn’t at the door waiting for them when they came out. It would be back, but for a moment, they could breathe.

The Doctor was surprised when he felt a small hand take his. Rose looked up him fondly and said a sweet “thank you.”

The Doctor nodded and told her to take care. With a little wave, he headed off in the opposite direction that he knew they’d take. He waited a few moments and turned back around to follow them. He was glad when they took the front of the bus so they weren’t likely to see him climb in the back. When they finally arrived at the Powell Estate, he found a good place to stand with the door to their flat in view. It was a further distance than he’d like, but he wanted to see their door. What he really wanted was to be up on the fourth floor outside their door, but he was sure that someone would either question him or call the police. This was going to be the hardest task yet: being so far away and just waiting. He couldn’t watch her from there. He could be sure that no one entered, but that was the best he could do.

He’d be as patient as he could, but just how patient was the shadow being going to be? Would it wait until they came out? What if that wasn’t until morning? The Doctor stayed on guard, watching the door as well as anyone that came anywhere near Bucknall House, suspicious of everyone. He was ready to run when he saw a woman stop at their door, but Jackie answered with a smile and the baby in her arms. It was just the baby’s mother.

It was another two hours before he saw any sign of Rose or Jackie. Neither of them had stepped outside, but Rose was looking out the window. He was standing in the shadows so he was sure she wouldn’t notice him. He wasn’t sure if he was glad she was at the window so he could see her or if he wished that she would stay safe deeper in her home.

She waited there for nearly thirty minutes and disappeared only to fly out the door a minute later.

“Keisha!” she yelled down to the young girl walking across the estate with her mother. “Keisha!”

Keisha pulled her mother with her as she walked closer.

“You’ll never believe what happened today!” Rose shouted excitedly.

“Is your hair short?” Keisha called back.

“That’s part of it. Wait ‘til I tell you! You won’t believe it!”

The Doctor saw him. The shadow being’s disguise was the same as it had been earlier and he stood just a few meters behind Keisha and her mother. The Doctor didn’t take chase. He saw what was going to happen and started racing toward Bucknall House. The shadow man raised his hand and the railing that Rose was leaning on suddenly detached on one side. Rose scrambled to take hold of it, but her fingers slipped.

Rose’s drop from the fourth story was long, but fast. The Doctor was prepared. He stopped running and took two steps back to position himself. When Rose fell, he caught her. She was stunned and looked around as she tried to figure out what just happened. When she looked at the Doctor, her expression changed to awe.

“It’s you. You saved me again… But how did you-“

The Doctor set her down on her feet and turned his attention to the shadow being. Rose called out after him, but he blocked out everything as he ran, everything but his target. He had the antiverse portal out and quickly took aim. He sighed in relief when the man vanished. He looked in the mirror and watched with satisfaction as justice was delivered.

Two down. Three to go.


	5. Chapter 5

“You’re worried,” Rose commented.

 The Doctor had returned to her and made telepathic connection. He’d informed her that another being was trapped, and that was her reply.

“No, everything’s going well,” he told her.

“Our minds are connected. Your emotions are as loud as your projected thoughts. You’re worried.”

The Doctor sighed. “I won’t claim that it’s not difficult. It’s a real challenge, but I’m still very sure I’ll succeed. I’m only worried because you and your mum have had a good look at me. I’m afraid you’ll recognize me in the future. If you keep wondering about me… What if you figure out I’m an alien? It might completely change how you react when we meet for the first time. When I first met you, you didn’t believe in aliens. If-“

“Don’t worry, love. I won’t come to that conclusion,” Rose assured him.

“But how do you know?”

“Because it’s my mind and my memories. I remember my mum and I talking after you caught me from that fall. We have a different theory.” She was able to feel his emotions, but he could feel hers also. She was laughing at him.

“What theories? And what do you mean you remember that?”

“It’s my past. I remember you saving me. I remember having fears of lifts for awhile after that day, too.”

“There’s still three more days that you’re going to see me. What if you figure me out?”

“I’m certain it will be alright. I trust you. In this, you have to trust me. The only suggestion I have is that you keep your gadgets and sonic screwdriver out of sight.”

“Alright. I’m going to be ready soon, but I need to grab a little bite to eat first.”

“Have you slept?” Rose asked.

“No, but I’m fine. I’ll be back soon.”

The Doctor pulled out of her mind and placed a kiss on her forehead. He wasn’t tired, but he was overwhelmed. A meal was what he needed, just a short break to pull himself together. It was relaxing in that he didn’t have to be on guard, but he couldn’t lose the heavy feeling inside and the image of Rose in her comatose state.

When he had finished eating, he put a couple protein bars and an apple into his canvas bag. If he was going to have to do more waiting around, he wasn't going to do it hungry again. There was one other thing he thought about while he was waiting outside the Powell Estate. He didn’t like that he couldn’t keep an eye on them while they were inside, so he brought along another gadget that could assist him.

He was anxious about putting young Rose in danger again, but every time he thought about Rose's future as it was now, he knew he had to. The Doctor spoke briefly with Rose and returned to the console to get ready. As soon as the shadow being escaped, the Doctor locked on.

The monitor informed him that it was summer of 1996. Rose was ten years old.

The Doctor stepped outside and stood on a street corner. He began searching for Rose right away, but found trouble before he found her. The large lighted sign that hung above a local restaurant began flashing erratically. He looked below it and there he found Rose, walking along with a friend.

"Rose! Move!" The Doctor shouted as he ran across the road, ignoring the screeching brakes of the cars around him. Everyone near her took notice of the sign because of the Doctor’s shout, but Rose was in search of the person that called her name. She heard a cracking sound above her and realized the danger too late. She put her arms above her head to protect her from the falling sign, but she was hit around her middle instead. The force propelled her back and she was suddenly horizontal. A loud noise that sounded much like an explosion boomed behind her. When she came to a stop, she was lying on the pavement, trapped between a brick wall and a heavy body protecting her side and back.

"Rose!" a woman and child were shouting from a short distance.

"Alright?" the Doctor asked her. He pushed himself back so his weight was no longer pressing on her. "No head injuries?"

Rose rolled over and looked at him and her eyes widened. "Angel?"

The Doctor looked her over quickly and when he saw no blood, he jumped to his feet. "Keep your eyes open and stay safe," he ordered.

The Doctor spotted a man on the run back on the other side of the road and started running after.

"Wait!" Rose shouted after him.

"Rose!" the woman she was with shouted again.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder and saw Rose stop just before she stepped in front of a moving car. When it passed, she rushed across the street after him.

The Doctor stopped and watched as she ran up to him.

“I just finished telling you to keep your eyes peeled and be careful and you run out into traffic?” he scolded.

“You remembered my name.” She was positively beaming.

“That’s it? That’s your response? You nearly died twice in five minutes and you’re only thinking about me remembering your name?”

“Well, it’s been so long. I wasn’t sure I’d see you again. I thought you’d forgotten about me.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and he could see her wide smile even better.

The Doctor sighed. “You shouldn’t be happy to see me. Every time you see me, you’re nearly killed. If you see me about, you should be on guard, not trying to follow.”

“But how do I know what to watch out for? Things just happen.”

“And I try to be there, but you have to watch out for yourself, too. Today is going to be a bad day. Things aren’t over.”

“How do you know?” she asked curiously.

“I just do. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but today, you’re the most unlucky person in the world. Be careful.”

“Does that mean I should just stay at home?” she asked miserably.

“I’m not saying that. Home is filled with many dangers, too. You-“

“Then you should come home with me!” she said excitedly. “If you want to keep me safe, you can come to my place and have dinner with me and Mum.”

“That’s not the way it works. I’m not supposed to talk to you. This right now is not good.”

“Is that like a rule? Is that why you always run away?”

“Well…” the Doctor said uncomfortably. “Hey, that woman you’re with is still calling for you. You should get going.”

“You’ll be watching out for me though, right?”

“Rose Tyler, you’re exhausting. Now run along.”

The Doctor turned and walked away. He completely lost the shadow being because of his little chat with Rose. Just as horrible, if not worse, she had just run past his TARDIS. She hadn't taken any notice of it, but if she ever did, it would certainly ruin everything. But he couldn't help where it landed. He needed to land near her. The Doctor walked a short distance further and ducked out of sight, waiting for her to get moving again so he could follow after.

Rose carefully crossed the street and stopped to look at the sign lying on the pavement. It was large and heavy and, considering the horrible sound it made when it hit the walk, she was sure it would have killed her. She'd realized that right away, but was too concerned about her angel to really think about it. Looking at the sign, it was suddenly very scary.

"Rose?" Stacy's mum, Caroline, asked as she approached. She turned Rose to face her. "Are you alright? Are you really alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm okay," Rose assured her.

"I was scared to death when the sign fell like that. I was sure... Oh I can't even think about it. And then you ran out into the road nearly giving me a heart attack all over again. You're sure you're alright? No cuts or sore spots?" Caroline pressed.

"I'm okay, I swear."

"Alright. Let's just get you home to your mum. I know you wanted to come over, but your mum needs to know what happened."

Caroline started walking and Rose and Stacy followed beside.

"So who was that guy?" Stacy asked excitedly. "He was like a superhero. It's crazy."

Rose felt uncomfortable talking about him so just shrugged in reply.

"What's that mean?" asked Stacy. "He called your name, didn't he?"

"Well, I talked to him before, but I really don't know him," she answered truthfully.

"Then what were you doing talking to him?" Caroline scolded.

"Well, I thought I should thank him." As soon as she said it, Rose realized that she hadn't thanked him at all and felt rotten about it.

"What did he say?" Stacy asked.

"He just told me to be careful."

"That's it? Rose, that's crazy. It's just all crazy! I can't believe how fast and brave he was. He's kinda cute, too. Do you know his name?"

"No." Rose sighed. Maybe next time she'd think to ask him. "He is kind of cute though, isn't he?"

"You girls are far too young to be thinking about boys in that way, let alone grown men," Caroline said sternly.

The two girls just giggled.

"Mum! Mum!" Rose shouted as she ran into the flat. Jackie came around the corner and Rose ran up to her. "You'll never believe what just happened! I almost died again today and-"

"What?!" Jackie looked down at Rose and up at Caroline who had followed Rose in.

"I don't know what to say. It's true. I don't know if I've ever been so scared in my life."

"What happened?" Jackie asked fearfully.

"You know Nathan's Grill? That big sign of theirs started flickering and then just fell down. Rose was standing right underneath it."

"And then this guy rushed all the way from the other side of the road and tackled her to the ground!" Stacy said excitedly. "They both crashed into the wall and the sign fell behind them!"

"It was him, Mum! It was him!" Rose gave Jackie a very meaningful look.

Jackie was completely overwhelmed and wasn't sure what to say.

"I gave the restaurant Rose's name and yours," Caroline continued. "I told them you might be by to file a report. You might get compensation for it."

"Thanks," Jackie said blankly, still trying to take everything in.

"Well, Stacy and I should probably be going. You take care of yourself, Rose." Caroline and Stacy saw themselves out.

Jackie looked down at Rose and took her daughter's face in her hands. "Are you alright? Are you really alright?"

"I'm fine, Mum. Well... If I'm really honest, I guess I'm a bit sore from being thrown to the ground, but he protected me the whole way down. You should have seen it." Rose was still smiling and Jackie wasn't sure what to make of her.

"I might be glad I didn't see it. I'm terrified just hearing about it."

"It was him though! It was my guardian angel! He looked just the same. Same voice. Same floppy hair. He even had the same blue t-shirt and canvas bag. And he knew my name! I swear it was him!"

"Voice? He talked to you?" Jackie asked.

"Well, he ran away again, but I ran after him. He told me I had to be extra careful today," her smile faded as she remembered his warnings. "He said more bad things are going to happen to me today. He said that today I've got more bad luck than anyone."

"Oh god," Jackie worried. "What are we supposed to do then? What do I...? I don't know what to do. Should I just keep you home? Should I take you to a church or something?"

"We don't need to go to a church if I've got an angel protecting me. But I think staying home is the worst thing we could do. The angel said himself that home is just as dangerous. And when you think about it, it is. Electric stuff, fire, knives, drowning, choking-"

"Stop! Just stop!"

"That's why I think we should go out though. He seemed like he couldn't come inside. If we're out there, he could protect me. Don't you think?"

"I don't know what I think. This is mad. This shouldn't be happening."

"I'm not worried," Rose said seriously. "He'll look out for me. So what do you say we go out for dinner?"

"We don't have the money for something like that right now," Jackie answered automatically. Her mind was buzzing. It'd been so long since she'd seen this 'angel' that she was starting to think she might have just made him up. Now her daughter said he saved her again and warned her of more possible deathly accidents. She just couldn't cope.

"I bet if we went to Nathan's Grill they'd give us free dinner," Rose grinned.

"No, absolutely not. We're never eating there again after that sign-"

"It wasn't their fault. It's my fault. It's my bad luck. It's kind of sad that their shop had to suffer 'cause of me. I never even thought of it... What if bad luck does happen here? What if the flat gets ruined 'cause of me? Like the ceiling collapses or something?" Rose was becoming truly worried for the first time. "Maybe I should sit outside."

"No, I'm not going to let you do that. You're sticking with me for the rest of the day. You might be right though. Maybe we should go out for dinner. How's pizza sound?"

Rose was smiling again when they arrived at the pizzeria. It was her favorite place. The kitchen ran along the side of the restaurant instead of hidden in the back. A glass partition stood between the kitchen and dining room so patrons could actually watch them prepare the pizzas and put them in the ovens. If one kept their eye on it enough, they could see exactly when their pizza would be pulled out.

Rose headed to the open table closet to the kitchen window, but Jackie took her by the arm and pulled her back.

"I don't think so," Jackie said sternly. "We're supposed to be keeping you away from dangerous things like kitchens."

"It's got a glass divider," Rose protested.

"Yeah and just watch a knife jump over top that divider or something. We're sitting near the door," Jackie insisted.

Rose sighed and plopped down at the table her mum had dragged her to. "Can we get wings, too?" she asked hopefully.

"You're lucky we're here," Jackie reminded her.

Once their pizza was ordered, Rose craned her neck to watch the cooks the best she could. It was hard to tell which pizza was theirs, but she thought she had it figured out. It was the next to go in the oven. The pizza currently in the oven was being taken out and Rose got a sick feeling in her stomach when she caught sight of the small fire. The towel that was used to take the pizza out had caught fire at the end. It was just a tiny flame, but the person holding it seemed unsure of what to do. By the time he decided to take it to the sink, it was starting to burn his fingers.

"Mum," Rose said anxiously.

Jackie's gaze followed Rose's and Jackie stood up slowly, taking Rose by the hand, just in case. The cook's fingers burned and he quickly pulled his hand away. Instead of falling, the flaming cloth flew to the side and fell directly into a boiling vat of cooking grease. The grease immediately caught fire and the flames burst toward the ceiling. The grease spattered angrily, throwing flames wherever it landed. The cooks were screaming, some in fright and others because the flames had leapt onto their clothing. The patrons began screaming, too. Finally, Jackie chimed in. She had run to the door with Rose, but the door was locked. She'd tried the lock again and again, but it wouldn't turn. That's when her cries started. They were trapped.

There was a crowd of people behind Jackie, demanding she open the door. When she explained that she couldn't, people started trying to push her back to have a go themselves. Jackie beat them off and repeated banged on the door, praying that Rose's angel was near. And then she saw him. He was crouched down at the door's lock and just a second later, the door popped open.

Rose was nearly trampled as everyone pushed through, but Jackie and the Doctor both pulled her to the side.

"Alright?" the Doctor asked. "Both of you, are you alright? No burns? Lungs alright?"

Rose nodded dumbly but Jackie whacked him across the arm.

"What took you so long?!" she demanded.

The Doctor chuckled. "You're welcome, Jackie."

And then he ran off.

"He knew my name!" Jackie said in surprise. "It was really actually him. And he knew my name."

Rose sighed as she watched the fire progress and cause thick black smoke to flood out of the open door. "And this was my favorite pizza place."

The Doctor missed the shadow being yet again. He was terribly frustrated as he followed Rose and Jackie home. He knew they wouldn’t leave the flat for the rest of the evening and it was hardest to keep an eye on them when they were inside. He thought about Rose’s offer to go inside and stay with them for awhile. Jackie would agree to it, too. It was a bad idea to spend any more time with them than he had to, but waiting outside was just as bad.

The Doctor took the same spot in the shadows as he had the time before. This time he brought a new gadget with him. He pulled out a small touchscreen monitor and brought up a program that allowed him to view the building layout. He scrolled to the fourth floor and highlighted their flat. Two cardiographs appeared on the screen. He could tell by their heart rates which was Jackie and which was Rose. If something happened that would affect either of them, he would know instantly. It made him feel like he was watching them more, but it really didn’t make him feel much better. If something happened to change their heart rates, it was likely that they were already injured.

Hours passed. The Doctor watched as the lights in the flat turned off. A short time later, he saw a change in their heart rates. They were sleeping. Still more hours passed. The Doctor kept a watchful eye out for any person at all. It was late and he hadn’t seen a single soul for more than an hour. And then he saw it. There was a faint silhouette of a man standing in the shadows across the lot. He just stood there. How long had he been there? The Doctor took out the antiverse portal and moved the mirror in the man’s direction. It was dark out and the man was difficult to see, but the red eyes that appeared in the mirror were vivid. That was him.

The shadow being was a great distance from him, but the Doctor was sure he could do it. He took aim and saw the man vanish. He watched it disappear into the mirror, but still had a sick feeling inside. Why had it just been standing there? Was it waiting for Rose to appear… or was it waiting for something else? The Doctor looked at his monitor again. Their heart rates looked normal… Normal for if they were awake, which they weren’t. If they were sleeping, then their hearts were going faster than they should.

The Doctor took off running, taking stairs two at a time and running to Jackie and Rose’s flat. He was taking a chance by barging in, but he was taking a bigger risk if he didn’t check on them. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and let himself in. He smelled it, felt it, the moment he stepped in. Carbon Monoxide might be odorless to humans, but not to him. It was high levels and they were quickly being poisoned by it.

“Rose? Jackie?” he called out.

The Doctor checked Rose’s room first, but it was empty. He entered Jackie’s next and found them both in her bed.

“Jackie. Rose. You have to get up now. Come on, out of bed,” the Doctor ordered. He saw them turn their heads to look about, but they were both extremely confused.

“Come on, you have to get up now,” he said again as he tried to rouse Rose.

“Angel?” she asked groggily.

“Time to get up.” He didn’t wait for her to wake further. He scooped her up and took her outside where he set her down near the door. He went right back in for Jackie.

“Jackie. Jackie, you have to wake up.” The Doctor tried shaking her, but she just looked up at him quizzically.

“Jackie, you’re being poisoned and we need to get you outside,” he told her as he assisted her in sitting up. “Come on. I’m not carrying you. You’ve got to walk. Up you get.”

The Doctor forced her to stand and slipped his arm under hers to help her walk. She was extremely weak, but step by step, they managed it. The Doctor set her down on the other side of Rose.

“Alright, girls, any better? Are you feeling more awake? Just a bit?” he asked.

“What’s going on?” Rose looked slightly more awake, but still terribly dizzy, weak, and confused. Jackie was a little worse, but Rose had had a couple more minutes of fresh air.

“Something in your house has made you very ill. I have a little something I want you to take.” The Doctor reached in his bag and pulled out a small vial. “I need you to open up so I can give you some of this medicine. It will help you get better much faster, alright?”

Rose nodded, but the small motion made her even dizzier and she had a hard time keeping her eyes focused on him. The Doctor tipped her head back gently and poured a small amount of liquid into her mouth. He moved on to Jackie.

“Jackie, I’m going to give you something to make you better. I need you to trust me and open your mouth.”

Jackie looked at him warily.

“I’m trying to help you, Jackie. You’ve been poisoned quite badly. If you don’t take this, there might be lasting effects. Now trust me.”

Jackie did as she was told and the Doctor administered the same dose he’d given Rose.

“I’m going to get you help. Whatever you do, don’t go back into the flat. I mean it. Absolutely no going back inside.” After giving his warning, the Doctor went into the flat himself and called 999. They tried to keep him on the phone, but he simply stated it was Carbon Monoxide and gave the address.

“Alright, ambulance is on the way and someone will find the problem in your flat. You two, stay safe.”

The Doctor was about to go when Rose took hold of his leg.

“Don’t go. Please don’t go,” she pleaded.

“The danger’s done now, love. Tomorrow will be better. Take care of yourself.” The Doctor leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the head.

“I still don’t want you to go.” She looked like she might cry, but the Doctor forced himself to move on. He was ready to round the corner when she called out one last time. “Thank you!”

“Anything for you, Rose Tyler.”


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor returned to the TARDIS and immediately went to Rose. He knew she’d be in the same state, but it hurt him no less to see her like that. As exhausted as he was starting to become, he was ready to get started again.

“I’m back. It’s done,” he informed her as soon as their telepathic connection was made.

Rose didn’t respond at first and it worried him. “I’m just remembering. No need to get worried again.”

“You remember it then?”

“Quite vividly. It was a hard day to forget. The previous memories were a bit scattered, but I was old enough this time to hold onto them.”

“Which worries me. How do we know this is going to work out? I can save you from the shadow beings, but not your assumptions.”

“But you know what my assumptions are,” she reminded him.

“An angel?”

“My guardian angel. Mum and I discussed it and we didn’t think that it could be anything else. In fact, she took us to a church to speak with a minister to ask his opinion on guardian angels and demons. The minister believed in angels without a doubt, demons too, but by the way he looked at mum, it was obvious that he thought she was a nutter.

“She decided that we should start going to church after that. She wasn’t sure that God was real, but if that’s where angels came from, she didn’t want God to think we were unappreciative.”

“Jackie started taking you to church?” the Doctor said in surprise.

“Just Christmas and Easter. She said those were the ones that really counted.”

The Doctor tried his best not to laugh, but failed. “Do you think that assumption will hold then? Even when you start traveling with me? When you start meeting aliens, you won’t question angels?”

“I’m pretty stubborn, remember? I don’t think there’s anything you could say that would make me change my mind. The assumption will hold,” she assured him.

“Alright. I’m ready then.”

“You’re not,” she told him. “You’re starting to get tired. I’m sure you haven’t slept since this started and I’m sure it’s been days. You need to rest first.”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her.

“You say that, but just slight exhaustion can affect your reflexes. You want to be at your best, so go get a little sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. Rest, Doctor,” she ordered.

The Doctor sighed, but did as he was told. She was right. He didn’t want his reflexes to be impaired. The shadow beings were changing tactics a bit. The last time, the being acted as soon as they arrived. He had hardly stepped out of the TARDIS when the lighted sign started to flicker. The members of the Pantheon of Discord were in Rose’s head. As she gained new memories, they saw each one. They could learn from the others. He feared that they might get more aggressive. If that was the case, he had to be quicker.

It was difficult to fall asleep, but after a time, he was able to suppress his thoughts and relax his body, forcing himself to sleep. As a time lord, he didn’t need much rest at all and woke after just two hours. He ate a quick breakfast and returned to Rose.

Another member of the Pantheon was released and the chase happened just as it had the previous three times. January of 2000. Rose was thirteen years old. The Doctor ran out of the TARDIS and quickly looked about. He was at the Powell Estate again, but Rose was nowhere in sight. Then he spotted her. She was coming down the stairs, ready to leave Bucknall House. She had a backpack on so he assumed she was heading to school. The Doctor saw a man across the lot, staring at her with intensity. Something was about to happen. He took out his sonic screwdriver and was prepared to run.

Just as Rose walked out, a cracking sound came from above her.

“Rose!” the Doctor shouted.

A giant cluster of icicles, the largest being almost a meter long, broke from roof several stories above her. Rose looked up at the Doctor and then above her head. At that point it was too late to move. She covered her head to protect herself from the blow and gasped when, instead of solid ice, she was doused in cold water. She looked up again and then around her, but there was no ice. It had melted into water. The angel melted the ice.

Rose looked up and saw him running. She wasn’t going to let him get away again.

The Doctor raced around the corner and down the pavement, passing many shops and a few pedestrians that he weaved around. He heard Rose calling after him. She’d started out by shouting ‘angel’ but then switched to calling him ‘mister’. He ignored her. He’d outrun her and he needed to keep after the shadow being that still had a gotten a good head start. The being stopped suddenly and turned around. The Doctor was confused and stopped, too. The disguised being raised his hand and a large dog began barking ferociously. The Doctor turned and ran back toward Rose, shouting for her to run. He passed the dog that was jerking on its lead, lunging toward Rose. The owner was having a hard time restraining it. The lead suddenly broke, and the dog charged after her. The Doctor’s head start meant almost nothing compared to the speed of the dog.

The Doctor swooped Rose by the waist and pushed her into the nearest shop. He entered after her, but not before the beast sunk its teeth into his leg. The Doctor pulled his leg in and shut the door on the dog’s head. It instantly released him and the Doctor was able to close the door properly.

“How many times, Rose Tyler, have I told you not to follow me? I’m going to say it once more. You stay here! Do not move until that dog is restrained by officials!”

The Doctor grabbed the door handle and Rose shrieked for him to stop.

“You can’t go out there! You’ll be mauled!”

The Doctor shook her off, fled out the door, being sure to close it, and took off running. The dog never left its place at the door, barking and snarling at Rose. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, adjusted the setting, and pointed it at the dog. It calmed immediately. He hadn’t had to use that setting in ages. He was glad he still had it.

Rose stood at the shop door, absolutely stunned. The shopkeeper asked if she was alright and outside the door, people were asking her the same thing. She was too overwhelmed to respond. She just stared at the dog. She had watched her angel racing away and when he lifted his hand, the dog just stopped. There it was now, sitting outside the door looking tame as could be. The owner held it by the collar, but she was just as stunned as Rose. The woman wasn’t sure what she should do.

The authorities arrived quickly and the dog was led into a cage in the back of a truck. Rose figured that it was safe to go back outside, but was still apprehensive.

“I don’t know what happened,” the owner was telling police. “She’s such a sweet dog. I’ve never seen her aggressive at all. I mean, even when strangers come to the door, she’s just excited to see someone’s there. She’s never been aggressive. Just before this happened that little toddler was petting her. She’s so good with people. I don’t know what happened. The girl just came running around the corner, and Roxy started lunging and barking.”

“Did the girl provoke it in any way?” the officer asked.

“No. Maybe Roxy was frightened because she was running, but we see joggers all the time so I don’t know how that could affect her. Really, the girl didn’t do anything. We’ve seen her before. She comes this way to go to school and sometimes stops to pet Roxy.”

Rose turned to see another officer interviewing the shopkeeper who was explaining that the dog only seemed interested in Rose, no one else.

She still had no idea what to do. Slowly she turned and started toward school. When one of the officers saw her, he stopped her immediately.

"Hold on, you can't go anywhere just yet," he told her. "We have to talk to you for a minute."

"I'm not in trouble or anything, am I?" she asked uncertainly.

"No, of course not," he said in surprise.

"Well, I heard you asking if I provoked it."

"I just had to ask what the owner had to say. I don't believe you did, but even if that were the case, you wouldn't be to blame," he assured her. "So what do you have to say about all of this?"

"I don't know. It happened like they said. I was running around the corner and when the dog saw me, it got angry and came after me. It's not going to be killed is it?"

"You're worried about the dog? After it attacked you?" he asked in astonishment.

"Well, it didn't actually attack me. And it's always been nice before. I don't think she'll do it again and the owner would be crushed," Rose said seriously. "If you're taking my statement, I want that put in there."

"How will your parents feel about it though? It up to them if they'd like to press charges."

"I'll talk to my mum about it, but I'm sure she'll trust me. I'll make sure she does. Can I go now?"

"Not yet. We need your name and a few other things."

Rose sighed in annoyance, but complied.

When Rose was finally free to go, she went off to school. She was terribly late at this point but it didn't matter to her. She was more concerned about where her angel had gotten off to.

The Doctor was back to tailing Rose before she had left for school and stayed out of sight the best that he could. He watched as she headed for the school entrance and leaned up against the building beside the school. This was going to be even more difficult than watching her flat and he really wasn't sure how he should handle it. Could he possibly come up with some excuse so that he could enter the building? Maybe he could use his psychic paper. So long as Rose didn’t see the psychic paper, it should be alright. He made his decision, but before he even started for the school, a side door of the building opened.

"I knew it!" said Rose as she ran up to him. "You can't just show up at the last second; you follow me around."

"Rose, you're supposed to be in school," the Doctor admonished. "Get back in there."

"Not a chance," she grinned. "You're not getting away from me this time."

"I can't do this. I can't be talking to you like this. You need to get back to school. Pretend like I'm not here."

"But you are though. And don't you think it'd be easier if I stuck with you? Last time, I don't think you knew about the carbon monoxide for awhile. We were pretty sick when you got to us because you couldn't watch us from outside. The school's a lot bigger. You won't be able to keep me safe from out here. See, it's better if I stick with you."

"Oh, this is so not good." the Doctor groaned and scrubbed his face as he tried to figure how best to manage this.

"If you're trying to figure out what to do, you don't have to. I'm not giving you a choice. You're stuck with me." Rose smiled mischievously with her tongue between her teeth.

The Doctor sighed in defeat and started walking.

"So what are we going to do?" Rose asked excitedly.

"Nothing," the Doctor answered flatly.

"Nothing? We're just going to walk aimlessly?"

"I'm not taking you out for entertainment. I'm not supposed to be with you at all."

"You keep saying that, but why not? Why aren't you allowed to talk to me? And who says you're not?" Rose asked curiously.

"It's just against the rules."

"Whose rules?"

"Doesn't matter. The rules still stand and I really hope I'm not going to regret this. Just listen. If you’re walking with me, you're going to have to do exactly what I say. If I say stop, you freeze. If I say run, you run. And when I say run, I don't mean a few steps and then stop. If I say run, you run as fast as you can in the opposite direction as me and all the way home. Do you understand?"

"Alright," Rose conceded.

"I'm serious. Very serious. You have to obey. I'm giving it all I've got to keep you safe, but you have to help me out."

"Alright."

"Good."

"How come you never wear a coat?" Rose suddenly inquired. "It's freezing. Aren't you cold?"

"I don't get cold very easily," he answered.

Rose looked him over and took notice of the blood on his calf. "You're bleeding! I didn't even think about it! I'm such an idiot. That dog bit you! Shouldn't you go to the hospital or something?"

"I'm fine. It wasn't too bad. Boxers’ teeth aren’t as large as some dogs and it wasn’t really after me. I won't say it didn't hurt, but it's alright now," he assured her.

"You're not even limping. Are angels really that different from humans?"

"I'm a bit different, yeah," he replied. He didn't want to claim to be an angel, but at the same time, he didn't want to dissuade that assumption. And he certainly didn’t want to tell her that he used his sonic screwdriver to help seal the wounds a bit.

"How come you don't have wings? Or do you and this is just a disguise? How do angels really work? I-"

"You ask too many questions and you already know that I'm not going to answer them. I can't. I'm sorry. I know you're curious, but there are some things that you just can't know."

“Okay, last one. Do you have a name?”

“Of course I have a name.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Can’t say.”

“Ugh! Do you have any idea how frustrating you are?” Rose growled. “If you don’t tell me your name, what am I supposed to call you?”

“You’re not supposed to call after me,” the Doctor reminded her.

“But I do and I sound ridiculous calling out ‘angel’. There has to be something I can call you,” Rose persisted.

“You can refer to me however you want,” the Doctor said with a shrug.

“Okay… How about Horatio then?”

“Horatio?” the Doctor asked in disbelief. His nose scrunched in distaste. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Rose laughed. “You said I could call you whatever I want… but yeah, I’m just kidding. I don’t know what to call you.” She thought about it for a couple minutes and then shook her head. “I really don’t know. I guess ‘angel’ will have to do until I think of something else.”

The Doctor just nodded. He really didn’t want her calling after him at all. His plan had been to be as invisible as possible and she was completely destroying that plan.

“If you have a name, who gave it to you? Do you have a mum? I never actually thought of angels being kids.”

“You have to stop asking, Rose. I really can’t say,” the Doctor said firmly.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Rose really wasn't sure what to say. She had so many questions to ask. It was hard to withhold them.

"I'm getting kind of hungry," she said at last. "Can we stop for something to eat?"

"Do you have any money?" the Doctor asked.

Rose shook her head in disappointment.

"Neither do I," the Doctor informed her. He could easily acquire it if he wanted to, but not without his sonic screwdriver or psychic paper, neither of which he planned to use in front of her.

The Doctor reached into his bag and pulled out an apple which he handed to her.

"Thanks," said Rose. "What else do you have in there? Never mind. I'm sure you won't tell me."

"I'm sorry again that I'm such a curiosity, but that's really how it has to be."

"What about this one: Do you eat?"

"Of course I eat. Why do you think I have food in my bag?" the Doctor chuckled.

"Well, you don't get cold and you heal really fast. How am I supposed to know just how different you are?"

The Doctor stopped suddenly. "Do you smell that?"

"If you mean food, we're standing right outside a-"

"Run!" the Doctor ordered.

Rose stared at him a second then turned to go.

"Run!" the Doctor commanded again, pushing at her back to encourage her to move faster. "Everyone, run now! Run!"

Rose did as she was told and kept running. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the Doctor had been running after her, but then stopped. She didn't stop. He told her to run home.

A horrifying blast behind her shook the ground, causing her to trip and fall. The sound was louder than anything she'd ever heard. Her ears were ringing. When she turned around, she saw that the pavement where they'd been standing had been blown apart. Flames were rising from it and spreading to the awning over the restaurant. Her angel ran right past it and continued up the street. She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't see him again that day.

The Doctor watched the shadow being struggle to escape the mirror. He knew there was no way it could get free, but he still took pleasure in watching it get pulled into the antiverse.

Just one more shadow being and the Pantheon of Discord would be wiped out.


	7. Chapter 7

"You're stubborn," the Doctor told Rose through their telepathic connection. "I tried to keep my distance, but you insisted on following me. I really don't know what to do with you."

"You've always known that I'm stubborn," she said in amusement. "I was terrified at what happened, but I didn't want you to leave. I never wanted you to leave."

"Did you ever learn what actually happened?"

"They said an underground gas line had a leak. They said it was a relatively small one. I guess we're lucky it wasn't bigger."

"I'd call you anything but lucky," he replied.

"I'm still alive after all that," she reminded him.

"Yes, but she doesn't know that all of the things happening to her are my fault." The Doctor was filled with guilt. What would happen if young Rose ever found out that her 'angel' was the reason for everything. An angel begging for demons to be unleashed upon her.

"You're saving me. Saving me now, means saving me in the past, too. You're not the one to blame for any of it. I'm the one releasing them, not you."

"It's just hard to see you suffering. Then and now."

"It'll be alright, love. Just one more. Are you ready?"

"I am," he affirmed.

The Doctor went to the control room and readied the TARDIS. He took a deep breath as he waited for the being's release.

"Just one more," he told himself.

The TARDIS landed in December of 2003. Rose was seventeen.

The Doctor rushed out the door and became worried instantly. He was on the platform of a Tube station. There were many people and he was quickly scanning the crowd for Rose. When he found her, he found chaos. The strap on one man's messenger bag broke, sending the swinging bag under the footstep of a man walking next to him. That man tripped and in his struggle not to fall, he crashed into Rose. The Doctor watched in horror as she fell onto the tracks.

The Doctor surged through the crowd and found Rose picking herself up off the tracks. She hadn't hit her head, or at least not hard enough to do serious damage, and missed being shocked by the third rail. The train was arriving though. People began screaming when they saw the scene. Rose rushed to the platform and began clawing to get up. The Doctor seized her by the arms and hauled her up so quickly that they both fell flat on the floor.

It took Rose a second to pull herself together, but when she did she immediately looked up at the man beside her. He had gotten to his feet and was starting to run.

"No! Wait!" Rose called after him. It was too late. He was out of sight.

The Doctor hadn't seen the shadow being, but he ran off into the crowd in hopes that, for once, Rose wouldn't run after him. He watched from a distance as she entered the train, and then entered further back. He took a seat and looked so see where she was, but then he put his head down, hoping she wouldn't spot him.

The Doctor's shoulders sagged when he heard her approach. He knew it was her before she spoke.

"I know that you follow me, remember?" Rose teased.

The Doctor sighed and looked up at her. "Do you happen to remember that I've told you to pretend I'm not here?"

"I remember. But do you remember-"

"That you're stubborn and don't listen?" the Doctor offered. "Yes, I definitely remember that."

Rose chuckled. "So what are we doing today?"

"You're going to do whatever it was you were going to, and I'm going to follow at a distance."

"Nice try," she smirked. "My plans for the day have just been canceled."

"You shouldn't-"

"I was on my way to meet a friend at the zoo. You think the zoo is a good place for me today? I could fall in with bears or something. You may have saved me from a dog, but are you ready to wrestle a tiger?" she challenged.

The Doctor groaned. "Fine. What are we doing then?"

"Your choice."

"I have no idea. Just pick a place." He waved dismissively.

"Well, are you really familiar with London? Do you visit often? I mean, I don't know how it works. Do you have a territory or just certain people around the globe? Like people in Russia or Egypt or America or something?"

"That's not how it works," the Doctor answered.

"That's what you always say," she huffed. "You mean no you don't have a territory or no you aren't all over the world?"

"You really want to know how this works for me?"

Rose was surprised that he might actually answer and she nodded, hoping he wasn't just going to mess with her.

"The last place I visited was Peckham, January of 2000."

"To see me?" Rose asked in confusion. "That's the last place you were?"

"And before that, summer 1996. Then January 1993 and June 1989."

"Just me?" Rose was stunned and wasn't quite sure what to think. "How does that work though? Do you time travel? Or… where do you go when you're not here?"

"Have you decided where we're going yet?" the Doctor deflected. "As lovely as train rides can be, today's not a good day for you to be taking one. Train crashes aren't pretty and not very easy to prevent."

"Yeah, good point... You really don't care where we go?"

"Your choice."

"Well, I still need to buy Mum a Christmas present. You don't mind if we go shopping, do you?" Rose asked uncertainly.

"That's fine," the Doctor agreed. He was pleased that it got them off at the next stop. He wasn't joking about the underground being dangerous.

Once outside, Rose took his hand as they walked. It made the Doctor slightly nervous. Though her hand always felt like it was made just to fit in his, she was further crossing the boundaries that he'd put in place.

"You know, I was afraid that I was never going to see you again," she confessed. "It's been about four years since I saw you last. I thought maybe you weren't going to come back."

"It's always been years between visits," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but it's been a pretty rough few years. I thought I might have screwed things up with you, too."

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"Well..." Rose looked down as she walked, and spoke a bit quieter. "I've messed things up pretty badly. I started skipping school. I saw this guy that Mum didn't like, so I left her to go off with him. It was awful. I mean _really_ horrible. And I had to go back to Mum after I treated her so badly. And I had stopped going to school and I... I just thought... Why would you come back to-"

"Everyone makes choices they regret. Sometimes they’re little. Sometimes they’re big," the Doctor spoke gently. "Whether you make good decisions or bad, you learn from them and they help shape the person you are. And you, Rose Tyler, are amazing."

She looked at him doubtfully.

"I'm not just saying that. I mean it. You're incredible. You're bright, courageous, playful, and kind. You are worth saving. I wouldn't have come unless I truly believed that."

"You mean you didn't have to come? You chose to?" she asked in confusion.

"It was definitely my choice. In fact, I begged for this task,” he said as he thought of his Rose and the way he pleaded for this chance. “I know what you've been through. It doesn't make you worth any less. You're a beautiful person, Rose Tyler. Don't ever think any less of yourself."

"Thanks," she said with a small smile.

The Doctor nudged her with his side and she smiled wider.

"So what is it that you're getting your mum?"

Rose led the Doctor through a few shops, searching for the perfect gift. They were both having a nice time, but the Doctor was starting to get pretty worried. There had been no more attacks and he wasn't sure what he should be watching out for. He didn't know what the shadow being was waiting for. The attacks were getting more dangerous. He wasn’t able to save her from falling on the tracks. He could only save her after. This being had been able to learn from all the rest and the Doctor feared it was plotting something terrible.

"What about this?" Rose asked, holding up a pink satin dressing gown.

"Ugh, for Jackie?" he grimaced. "I'd rather not picture it."

"It's not revealing," she argued. "And, what, you don't like my mum?"

"Not like that, I don't."

"Like what?"

"You know..." He made a gesture with his hands that made no sense to her at all.

Rose just laughed. Despite the Doctor's opinion, she bought the dressing gown for her mum.

"So what happens now, Rose Tyler?" the Doctor asked as they walked out of the shop and back into the cold December air.

"I don't know," she said as she stopped and looked around. "I didn't think we'd get so much time without a life threatening catastrophe."

"Honestly, neither did I," the Doctor admitted.

"Well, maybe before that happens then," Rose said anxiously as she dropped her bag on the ground at her side. She looked terribly nervous as she stepped up in front of him. The Doctor was confused by her demeanor.

Rose reached up, took the Doctor's face in her hands, and kissed him. The Doctor was stunned and didn't know how to respond. It was Rose, but it wasn't _his_ Rose yet and he wasn’t the Doctor; he was her angel. But how could he break off without hurting her? He responded by kissing back for a split second and tried to pull back. Rose didn't relinquish him though, kissing him again and then again, trying to get him to respond. The Doctor gently took her hands from his face, placed a kiss on her knuckles, and held her hands between them.

"I'm sorry, but it can't be like that," he said softly.

"I knew you'd say that." Rose looked wounded. She had realized by his response to her kiss that she was being rejected, but she didn't want to accept it. She was trying now to keep herself together and make sure she didn't succumb to tears.

"Why though?" Rose asked desperately. "I love you. I've loved you since I was ten years old. I’ve waited for you. There were many times that I actually hoped my life would be threatened just so that I could see you again. In fact, there were a few times I seriously considered putting myself in danger just so you'd show up."

"No. Never do that," the Doctor said severely.

"See, and that. You care about me, too. You said I'm the only one that you look out for and that you really want to. You like me and care about me so why-"

"I can't explain," the Doctor quietly replied. "You're right that I care about you very much. But nothing like that can happen between us. I'm sorry, Rose."

"I just... I don't want... I just want you."

The Doctor pulled Rose into an embrace. She tried to fight against it at first, too hurt by him to want comfort, but she quickly gave in. It felt so good to be that close to him that it was worth the heartache later. The Doctor kissed the top of her head and pulled back.

"Perhaps you'd like some dinner now?" he asked.

"Oh no! I'm supposed to meet Shareen at the pub!" Rose suddenly exclaimed.

"I thought you were supposed to meet someone at the zoo?" the Doctor asked skeptically.

"I was," she said with a testy attitude because of his suspicion. "I made plans for the zoo after I already made plans with Shareen. I just forgot. She's got this bloke she likes and wants my opinion."

The Doctor rolled his eyes but Rose didn't see it because she was checking her watch.

"We've still got time," she sighed in relief. "We still have to get going."

"We don't have to take the Tube, do we?"

Rose smiled. "No, it's just on the other side of the bridge. I thought we'd walk... if that's alright?"

"I like walking," he agreed.

"No, from what I've seen, you like running," she teased. She was still feeling heartbroken, but she masked it the best that she could. She didn’t want to ruin this time with him.

They started down the street and the Doctor took her hand. It was companionable, but its main purpose was to better protect her. An accident still hadn't occurred and he was getting more and more anxious. With all the traffic, it felt better to have the ability to pull her from harm.

“So, I’m sure you’re still not going to give me your name, so how am I supposed to introduce you at the pub?” Rose asked him.

“I’m not supposed to exist, remember? I’ll take a seat by myself while you socialize,” the Doctor said seriously.

“And then I come over to your table and introduce myself as Rose Tyler and you introduce yourself as…”

“Why must you make this so difficult?” he moaned.

“You’re the one that always makes things difficult. We both know that I’m not good at choosing a name for you, so what’ll be? Or are you going to surprise me when I do actually come up to you and introduce myself?”

“Fine. I don’t know… Ian? Is that alright? Do you think I could pull off ‘Ian’?”

“Yeah, I think Ian would work. But how do I introduce you to my friends? We just met or you’re an old friend or-“

“Not doing that, remember? I’m sitting alone.”

“Alright,” she conceded. "So, change of subject. I know you're not allowed to say much about yourself, but I'm wondering... Is there anything you do for fun?"

"Of course. I do loads of fun stuff. I..." the Doctor paused. What could he tell her about? "I'm an excellent footballer."

"You?" Rose said incredulously.

"What's that supposed to mean? Yes, me. I'm quite good. Wish I had a ball to show you now. Well, maybe not right here. The middle of London Bridge isn't exactly the best place to play football. But I can and-"

"Okay. Alright, I believe you. I just never thought of angels playing football. Do you have teams?"

"Can't talk about angels," the Doctor said quietly.

"I don't know if I wonder more when you don't tell me anything, or if I wonder more when you _do_ start talking," Rose chuckled. "I swear, if you-"

"Watch out!" the Doctor shouted. A pair of headlights raced right for them. The way Rose had turned to look put her right in the center. The Doctor wouldn't be able to pull them both clear in time so he shoved her back and dived in the opposite direction. The car smashed between them, right into the side wall of London Bridge.

"Rose?!" the Doctor shouted, looking over the front of the car. Rose stood up and looked around. When she saw another set of headlights, she panicked and jumped on the front of the crashed car. Her leg had barely cleared when the second car hit.

"Come here," the Doctor ordered, trying to coax her off in his direction.

"Look out!" Rose exclaimed, pointing at another car coming from the Doctor's side. The Doctor managed to escape just in time. The first car, the one she was crouching on, was pinned on both sides by the other two vehicles. Rose looked around warily for a few moments before she even considered climbing across the cars toward the Doctor. The very second she moved out of her crouched position, a fourth car smashed into the rear of the first car. The force threw Rose backward and the Doctor watched in horror as Rose fell backward and plummeted toward the water.

The Doctor's hearts were pounding. This could be it. Jumping from London Bridge was rarely fatal, but she hadn't jumped, she fell. There was a huge difference. Going in feet first, your legs absorb impact. Falling at an odd angle had the ability to knock a person unconscious, cause brain damage, or cause other internal injuries. Even if she escaped that, she'd be swimming with a heavy winter coat. The water was frigid. All the dangers of the fall came to the Doctor in just a split second. In the next second, he was jumping over the edge himself.

The Doctor landed close and took hold of her immediately. She was conscious and flailing as she tried to keep her head up, fighting against her heavy clothes which were pulling her down. The Doctor let her go and helped to remove her heavy coat. As soon as she was free, he grabbed her from behind and started swimming to the side. A group of onlookers were there and the Doctor was shouting for someone to call 999. When they reached the side, the Doctor climbed out first and then helped Rose out.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"

"I’m so cold, it hurts everywhere," she answered with chattering teeth.

"I know. That damn ambulance better show up soon." The Doctor looked around helplessly. Hypothermia wasn't something he could magically fix. She needed to get warm and fast. "Come on," he coaxed. "Let's head up to the road."

Rose stood and followed at his side, but her steps were slow. When the Doctor saw the ambulance arriving, he scooped Rose up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way. As soon as she was inside, she was laid on a gurney and wrapped in multiple blankets. When they saw that the Doctor was soaked, too, they offered him a blanket before he even got in. He climbed in easily and they stared at him like he was mad when he used the blanket just to dry himself off.

“Sir, you have to keep the blanket on. You’re in great danger of-“

“I’m fine,” he told them. “Worry about her. Keep still, Rose. Don’t move around too much.”

“But-” one of the paramedics started.

“I’m not going to get hypothermia. Just worry about her!” the Doctor demanded.

It was a fast ride to the hospital and Rose was quickly wheeled in and surrounded by a doctor and a few nurses.

“I thought you said there were two that fell in,” one of the doctors questioned.

“There were,” the Doctor said as he jogged in. “Sorry, just had to tie my shoe.”

He didn’t wait for a response and just went to catch up with Rose. He watched as they transferred her from the gurney to a bed in one of the emergency rooms.

“Hello, love,” one of the nurses spoke to her. “Can you give us your name?”

“R-Rose,” she answered, shivering even more violently than before.

“Alright, Rose, I’m going to ask you a few questions, but first, is there someone you’d like us to call for you?”

“Y-yeah. M-my Mum.”

“It’s Jackie Tyler,” the Doctor assisted her. He quickly rattled off Jackie’s phone number as he removed Rose’s soaked shoes.

“Sir, you can’t do that. You’re going to have to leave the room,” another nurse demanded.

“Alright. I’ll be just outside the door, Rose.”

The Doctor stepped out into the hall and leaned against wall where he could listen to the progress and also keep an eye out for the shadow being.

The doctor that he’d spoken to when he entered the hospital approached him, looking quite displeased. “There you are. You can’t just go wandering in like that. You need to be assessed and treated when-“

“I don’t want to be treated. I’m just here for my friend,” he explained.

“You’ve just fallen into the Thames in December! You need to be treated. Do you understand just how serious hypothermia can be? It could-“

“I know. Ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, chilblains, coma, hypoxia, liver failure. I know. That’s why I’d like to stay here and see how Rose is doing. I’m fine and I’m not leaving this spot.”

“You know the risks so you know you need to be treated. If you don’t come with me we’ll have to have someone come and restrain you. It is the responsibility of the hospital to treat those with life-threatening conditions. Consent in the matter-“

“A person’s refusal for treatment can be overlooked if it appears that they are in critical condition and not of sound mind to make that decision. I am of sound mind and exhibit no signs of critical condition. No confusion, shivering, drowsiness, and I have perfect coordination. You try forcing treatment on me without my consent, and I will force a huge lawsuit on this hospital,” the Doctor threatened. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to listen to what’s going on in there.”

“If you’re not a patient, then you have no right being over here,” she argued.

“I have every right. I’m with her.”

“Only family members-“

“I am family.”

“You said you were a friend.”

“You’re not friends with your family?” he challenged.

“Sir,” the woman said angrily.

The Doctor poked his head around the door frame. “Rose, am I family?”

Her voice was muffled, likely by an oxygen mask, but she replied, “yes.”

“See,” said the Doctor.

“Fine. If that’s the case, then you can fill out a little bit of paperwork.”

The Doctor grimaced but nodded.

“I’m also going to need your name,” she told him.

“Sorry, I can’t do that,” he said, dropping his arrogant manner for a moment.

“It’s not optional. I need a name,” she insisted.

“Alright, Joe Bloggs,” he replied.

“A _real_ name,” she said irritably.

“What’s wrong with Joe Bloggs? It’s what you call everyone else here that doesn’t have name,” the Doctor argued. “They use John Doe in other countries. Would that be better?”

“I need a real name,” she said angrily.

“Pamela Lawrence,” he said.

“That’s _my_ name!”

“I know. It’s a good name. That’s why I chose it.”

“You know what? This just isn’t worth it,” the woman huffed. She walked away looking like she’d never been so harassed in her life. Though he knew he should feel sorry, the Doctor was pleased with himself. He never liked pushy hospitals and their rules. Not only that, arguing had gotten him out of doing paperwork.

Now that the woman was gone, he could hear what was going on inside the room. Rose was getting warm oxygen and mildly heated IV fluids. He could tell by the sound of the monitor that her heart wasn’t out of sync. Her heart rate still wasn’t at a desired pace, but it was steady.

“Ma’am! “Ma’am!” one of the hospital staff called down the hallway. “You can’t just go looking for the patient. You need to-“

“She’s with me,” the Doctor shouted back. The staff person stopped, their shoulders slumped, and they rolled their eyes. It seemed that he had already developed a reputation.

Jackie spotted him as soon as he’d called out.

“It’s you,” she said. “You’re the one that went in after her? Don’t answer that. Of course you were. Is she alright?”

“She’s got hypothermia, but they’re warming her up. It sounds like she’ll be just fine,” the Doctor informed her.

“But what about the cars? They said she fell because of a four car collision. She didn’t-“

“She’s alright. It was a narrow escape, but she made it. No injuries. She’s just cold from the water,” he assured her.

“Can I see her?”

“They won’t let us in, but if you’re quick, you might be able to get a peek around the curtain.”

Jackie did just that and came back out with a whimper. “My poor Rose.”

“Believe me, I know.”

When the doctors believed that Rose was warm enough and truly stable, she was moved to another room so that she could be watched overnight. Jackie was finally able to see her and sat at her bedside. Jackie told the Doctor that Rose really wanted him to come in and see her, but the Doctor stood guard outside the door. The day wasn’t through. The shadow being was out there and it would have to show itself in the hall to be able to influence anything in Rose’s hospital room.

“You’re looking out for something, aren’t you?” Jackie asked as she joined him by the door.

“Her bad luck isn’t through yet,” the Doctor explained.

“Then shouldn’t you be in here protecting her?”

“I’m close enough to stop anything inside the room, but I need to make sure that nothing out here happens that could hurt her.”

“Why is this happening though?” Jackie asked in dismay. “Why Rose? I just can’t figure it out. It doesn’t happen to anyone else I know. Why my daughter?”

“Because she’s special,” he answered seriously.

“Of course she’s special; she’s my Rose. But-“

“No, Jackie, she’s _very_ special.”

“I don’t understand. How do you mean?” she asked.

The Doctor sighed. “Do you want me to tell you?”

“Of course.”

“You can never tell a soul, not ever, especially Rose,” he said with great seriousness.

“Especially Rose? You’re making me nervous.” And Jackie looked it. She appeared terribly worried as she looked around.

The Doctor shook his head. “It was a bad idea anyway. I have to be careful not to-“

“Tell me,” Jackie pleaded. “If it’s important, I really want to know. You can’t leave me wondering now.”

The Doctor looked in the room to be sure Rose was asleep and spoke to Jackie in hushed tones. “Your daughter is much more special than you could ever have imagined. Rose Tyler is going to save the world.”

“Come off,” Jackie huffed in irritation.

“I’m serious. It will come sooner than you think. Rose Tyler will save the planet. No one but her will ever know that she was involved. Well, you’ll know, and three others. You’ll know without a doubt. She’ll receive no recognition, but as incredible as she is, that won’t bother her at all.”

“You can see the future? You’re actually sure of this?” Jackie asked nervously.

“I’m not an oracle, if that’s what you mean. But Rose Tyler is a legend that I know very, very well,” he claimed.

“Is that why you save her then? Just so she can save the world?” Jackie accused.

“It’s vital that she stay safe so she can do that. But I swear to you in all honesty, if that wasn’t the case, she would still be worth saving, worth dying for. It’s the person she is that makes her special. Believe me, she will surprise you.”

“It sounds like I should be proud, but really it just scares me.” Jackie looked at her daughter with deep concern.

“I’m sorry, but it will scare you more. That’s what mothers do; they worry,” he said apologetically. He thought of the year Rose went missing. He said twelve hours, but it had been twelve months. He hadn’t been bothered about it then, but he’d come to respect Jackie and felt sorry for the worry it caused her. “I’ll tell you one last thing …”

“What?” she asked in fear.

“She’s going to be alright. Things will get frightening, but she’s going to be okay,” he assured her. “I’m sorry that I’ve scared you. I just thought it might help if you were prepared.”

Jackie nodded.

“You were about to go get some tea. Why don’t you? Might make you feel a bit better.”

Jackie nodded again and slowly started down the hall. The Doctor worried that maybe he revealed too much, but something in him told him that it was for the best. Nothing that Jackie could do would talk Rose out of traveling with him when the time came.

As Jackie rounded the corner, the Doctor caught sight of a man standing near the nurse's station. He had the same intense stare as all of the other shadow beings and he was staring in the direction of Rose's room. This was it. The shadow being had become reckless. The Pantheon of Discord were not known to be patient. That's why the Doctor had been concerned when his and Rose's shopping trip had gone smoothly. He knew the being had been waiting for an opportunity to do his worst. But the waiting was too much for it. Waiting during the shopping trip and then waiting far longer at the hospital. It was too impatient and was now being reckless.

The Doctor's hand dived into his bag and brought out the antiverse portal. He checked the mirror to be sure he was correct. The disguised being began raising his hand with the intent of destruction, but the Doctor was able to fire first. The being vanished instantly. The nurses at the nurse's station looked terrified and confused, but the Doctor didn’t care. He watched as the last shadow being was cast into the timeless antiverse. Rose, both in the hospital and on the TARDIS, would not be harmed by them again.

Now that his mission had been completed, it was time for him to go. But first, he needed to speak to Rose. The Doctor stared at the beautiful seventeen-year-old asleep in the bed. She was a treasure. From birth to the time they shared together in the TARDIS now. Something about her at this age though... He felt terrible leaving her. She was so unsure of herself. She felt defined by her poverty, her abandoned education, her job as a shop girl. She felt stuck and thought she could never rise above that, that she could never have better. Her 'angel' made her feel worth something and now he'd have to leave. It was heartbreaking.

"Rose?" he said softly as he sat on the edge of her bed.

Rose’s eyes fluttered open and a small smile appeared at the sight of him. When she saw the look on his face though, she instantly became worried.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought I should say goodbye."

"No." Her worry turned to panic and desperation. "You can't leave. Please don't go. Please."

"I have to," he said gently. "The bad luck that's haunted you is gone. I have to go."

"No, but I don't want to have to wait four more years to see you. If you don't look after anyone but me, can't you just stay?"

It hurt him deeply to say it, but he had to. "When I say the bad luck is gone, I mean completely. You won't be hurt by it anymore. It means I'm not coming back. This is goodbye."

"No! No, you can't do this. You can't just leave me. I can't... You just can't." Rose spoke quickly and in frantic distress. Tears started falling down her cheeks. "I need you."

"I know it's hard. That's part of why I tried to keep my distance. I don't want you to miss me. I'm not supposed to mean anything to you."

"But you mean everything. No one's ever cared about my like you. No one's ever thought I was worth anything. When you’re not here, I’m nothing. You-"

"You're worth so very much. I hope you start believing that yourself. You don't need my protection anymore though, so I have to leave."

"But what if I do need your protection? What if-"

"You won't. Your bad luck days are gone. Now, I want you to listen carefully. You said before that you seriously considered putting your life in danger so that I would come. You cannot do that. I cannot, under any circumstance, come back. I've worked very hard to protect you. It would utterly destroy me to find out you've purposely brought harm to yourself. Please take care of yourself."

Rose nodded, finding it hard to speak through her tears.

"I don't want you to be sad about me leaving. Better times are coming."

Rose shook her head in disbelief.

"They are," he fervently assured her. "You don't need an angel to protect you because someone else is coming that will protect you. He's far better than some angel because he'll always be there. He won't come and go; he'll stay by your side."

"No one can be better," she disagreed.

"Believe me. He'll see just how wonderful you are and help you see just how fantastic life can be. A new phase of your life is coming and coming soon."

"How do you know?" she asked weakly.

"I can't say, but I promise it's the truth. 2005, Rose Tyler. That's your year. Your life will change and you will love it."

"But I still don't want you to go," she said miserably.

"I have to. Please don't be sad. Please. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy." The Doctor lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. It didn't feel like enough. He stood and leaned down to kiss her on the head.

He was at the door when she called out to him one last time. "I'll never forget you. Please... Please don't forget me."

"Forget you? Never ever." The Doctor gave her a small warm smile and left her room.

It was a long journey back to the TARDIS so the Doctor took the Tube. It gave him time to think and time to hurt. He really hoped that Rose wouldn't miss him too much. He wanted her to be happy. He didn't want to return to the TARDIS and hear from his Rose that she became depressed after he left. He hoped that she lived in anticipation of the brilliant future that he'd promised her.

When he got off at his stop, he hurried to the TARDIS. Though he was still worried over young Rose, his Rose now was a bigger concern. The Pantheon of Discord had departed from her, but there was still the matter of undoing the transformation that the Bad Wolf had performed. He wasn't sure where to start, but Rose would be able to tell him more.

The Doctor entered the zero room and froze. It was empty. Rose was gone.

The Doctor ran through the corridors shouting her name.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

When her reply came, the Doctor tripped and then bounced back on his feet in excitement.

"Rose?" he said as he poked his head through the door. "You weren't in the zero room. Both my hearts almost stopped. I didn't think you'd be awake."

"Bad Wolf is the one that changed me. One little thought, a tiny flare, and I was back to me," she said with a smile.

"How are you though? Are you alright? Are there any side effects?"

"I'm starving," she ardently declared around a bite of food.

"That's it? You're hungry?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

"Other than extreme hunger, I feel fine.” Rose got to her feet and they threw their arms around each other.

“Oh, I missed you,” he said quietly.

“I know. I’m so sorry that I upset you. I never, never want to hurt you.”

“I’m not going to say it was alright, but we’re okay now. So long as you’re okay. Really no side effects?”

“Hungry,” Rose repeated. The Doctor released her and playfully pushed her in the direction of her chair and her plate.

"But what about Bad Wolf?" The Doctor took a seat across from her.

"Safe and locked away." She smiled at him warmly. "I-"

"What do you mean by safe and locked away?" he worried.

"I used her for just a second, just a little flare, to put me back to rights. Then I suppressed her."

"Just suppressed her? You can still call her at will? Rose, you can't do that. She's too powerful. She's rash and-"

"She's me," Rose reminded him.

"But look at what she did to you!"

"I thought I explained it before. I’m Bad Wolf. _I_ changed me. Bad Wolf lets me see things and know things that I can't on my own. She gives me power to change things, but it's still me that decides. Bad Wolf isn't nearly as powerful as the first time and I've learned from the first time."

"It's still dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Please let me lock those memories again. I don't want to chance something like this again."

"I know it's dangerous. I don't want to use it. I still consider it forbidden. I would rather regenerate than use it, but I stand by the decision I made to trap the Pantheon of Discord. I saw all of the possibilities. It was the only way to save the universe."

"I could have-"

"There was nothing you could’ve done," she disagreed. "I hadn't seen the possibilities for _after_ I imprisoned them, but I saw all of your efforts to fight them before I trapped them. Anything you could have tried would've failed. Bad Wolf and my time sense are locked deep inside. I promise you, I have no desire to unlock it again. Ever. But in case a threat ever arises again, something so cosmically, catastrophically terrible that is unable to be fixed by any other means, Bad Wolf is there."

"I still don't like it," he said quietly.

"Doctor... I'm sorry," Rose said with deep sincerity. "I know that this scares you. I know that I hurt you. I know that I hurt you a lot. I never meant to do that to you."

"I just couldn't bear the thought of you being locked away like that. Locked away forever. I couldn’t let it be. Rose Tyler is too important to be lost like that and will _always_ be worth saving."

"And so will you. Releasing the shadows was definitely against my better judgment, but I couldn't stand the thought of you being so lonely."

"Against your better judgment? Didn't I say that I could do it?" the Doctor challenged.

"You were incredible, but it was still risky," Rose stated. "Thank you, Doctor."

"I felt terrible leaving your younger self the way that I did. I didn't mean for you to get attached to me back then. Tell me you weren't sad for long."

"I was sort of. I really did fall in love with you. It seems silly because I barely knew you, but you made me feel special and cared for. I pushed through it," she said with a shrug. "And I did listen to what you promised me."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"Well, think about our first adventure. Think about when you asked me if I wanted to come with you. What happened differently?"

The Doctor had to think about it. It was their own timelines that they changed so they remembered how it happened before and after those changes.

"I didn't have to ask you twice," he answered with a smile. "I asked if you wanted to come with me and you ran through the door without a second thought."

"I realized that the Doctor was the man that would change my life. I never forgot my 'angel' though. Do you remember that, too?"

The Doctor thought about it again and laughed out loud. "It wasn't long after we met. You asked if I knew anything about angels and I laughed at you. You got pretty upset and tried to tell me about the angel that kept saving you. I didn't listen properly and dismissed it as some helpful strangers and a jeopardy friendly girl. You were really angry and ignored me for awhile out of spite."

"And don't you look silly for it now?" she chided.

"You figured it out as soon as you came back to this universe then."

"No, I figured it out in Pete's World with my Doctor there." Rose told him. "I told him about it again and we talked through the possibilities. We decided it must have been future Doctor rewriting things. Rewriting things is so confusing, having two sets of memories."

"It was worth it. It was all worth it. So very worth it." The Doctor reached across the table and stroked Rose's cheek. "This right here is how things are supposed to be."

"The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS."

"The stuff of legends."


End file.
